LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Chap. Copyrig^ No. 

UNITED STATES OF AME^J^. 



PHILIP JACOB SPENER 
AND HIS WORK. 



/ 

By marie E. RICHARD. 



"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth 
good tidings, that piiblisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, 
that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth ! "— 
Isaiah Hi. 7. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 
^ 1897. 



SECOND COPY. 



^<^il 









57703 



Copyright, 1897, 

BY 

THE LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 



pbilip Jacob Spcncr anO Ibis Morft. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE 
CHAPTER I. 

Condition of the Lutheran Church in Germany at the time of 
Spener's Birth— His Youth and Education— His Marriage— 
His Pastorate in Strasburg, and Call to Frankfort 5 

CHAPTER II. 

Spener as Senior ot the Ministerium at Frankfort— His Preaching 
and Efforts for the Reform of the Church— His Opinions on 
Church Government 18 

CHAPTER III. 
Spener's Controversies— His Sickness— His Call to Dresden ... 38 

CHAPTER IV. 

Spener as Court-preacher at Dresden— Condition of the Saxon 
Church— His Practical Activity 59 

CHAPTER V. 

Pietistic Controversies — Spener's Difficulty ^yith. tht? Elector— His 
Call to Berlin 68 

CHAPTER VI. 

Spener as President of the Consistory, and Provost at Berlin— 
Pietistical Extremes— The Confessional— Pietistic Controversy 
— Attempts at Church Union 74 

CHAPTER VII. 

Spener's Private Life— His Last Davs and Death 85 

(3) 



august Dctmann jFrancftc anO f)fs MocR. 



TABLE OP CONTENTS 



PAGE 

CHAPTER I. 
Francke's Youth and Student Life 93 

CHAPTER II. 

Fran eke as Preacher and Pastor at Erfurt— University of Halle— 
Francke as Professor and Pastor at Halle— The Pietists . . . 104 

CHAPTER III. 
Francke as Philanthropist and Educator 112 

CHAPTER IV. 
Francke's Work in Bible Distribution and Missions 133 

CHAPTER V. 

Francke's Domestic Life, His Last Days and Death 140 

(4) 



PHILIP JACOB SPENER 
AND HIS WORK. 



CHAPTER I. 

CONDITION OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN GERMANY 

AT THE TIME OF SPENER's BIRTH HIS YOUTH AND 

EDUCATION — HIS MARRIAGE HIS PASTORATE IN 

STRASBURG, AND CALL TO FRANKFORT. 

The Peace of Westphalia had settled the rights 
of religious parties in Germany ; but the Reform- 
ers were dead, and the fervent spirit that had 
stirred them to action, and to sacrifice, had been 
quenched in the long struggle for religious liberty. 
The Church had become the heritage of a genera- 
tion of warriors, who, while they preserved and 
protected her, had developed those passions 
which destroyed her inner life. 

The Protestant Church was divided into two 
great parts : the Lutheran and the Reformed, and 
these fell into bitter and intolerant controversies 
with one another, while the entire Protestant body 
was engaged in disputes with the Romish Church. 

Although wars had ceased because of the coun- 
try's exhaustion, the hatred and bitterness en- 
gendered by them survived, and was voiced in 
pulpit and school, wherever men taught or 
preached or wrote. In protecting the truth, the 
people had lost that chief treasure with which re- 
(5) 



b SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

ligious truth is designed to endow the human 
heart — brotherly love. 

The follower of a great benefactor moves for- 
ward developing his Avork. The imitator stands 
immovable and only poses beside it. During 
the century which succeeded their death, the Re- 
formers had no followers. No one received again 
the fervent and creative spirit of their action. 
They had ready imitators, who clung to the dry 
husks of an empty faith, finding the letter where 
their heroic predecessors had fo.und the spirit. 
These made of Luther's glorious theology, which 
had been framed as an expression of inner life, a 
philosoi3hy of religion, whose importance was its 
correct and orthodox expression, and its intel- 
lectual apprehension, rather than its influence 
upon life or conscience. Luther and Calvin were 
quoted oftener than Christ and Paul. The Scrip- 
tures were forgotten for the creeds, and those 
sources of spiritual enlightenment from which 
should have flowed broad streams of truth became 
as stagnant wells of bitter Avaters. 

Much time was devoted to study, but complaint 
has been made that the study was desultory and 
objectless, and that the scholarship of the time 
was superficial. The moral tone of the schools 
and universities was extremely low, and the can- 
didates for the ministry presented themselves un- 
prepared in both mind and heart for the duties of 
the sacred office. True, many wore the Doctor's 
title, but its value and significance was relative. 
To the masses the Bible had come to be a closed 
book. Its use in the schools was neglected, or, if 
used, the most cursory reading sufficed. Catechi- 
sation v/as almost entirely discontinued, or if made 
use of at all, the mere committing to memory of 
the various parts was all that was thought neces- 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 7 

sary. The preaching, when not polemical, still 
failed in the qualities necessary for the edification 
of the people. There were disagreements as to 
the best methods of sermonizing, and the literary 
fashion of the time led to long and tedious pur- 
suits of unimportant definitions to be used in un- 
important exegesis, while the wants of the people 
and the satisfying truth was overlooked. As a 
relief from this; some more sensational preachers 
expounded one of Luther's hymns, related a 
fanciful allegory, or attacked, bare-handed, with- 
out pretense of cover, some minor social evil, as 
an extreme of dress or a folly of conduct. 

True, there were earnest and pious men who 
saw with distress the prevailing evils, and sought 
to remedy them in the true way. Chief among 
these were Valentine Andrea, John Arndt, and 
the two Gerhards. But the time was not ripe for 
any decided change, and while the life and works 
of these still eminent preachers left their influ- 
ence on individuals, they had not then the power 
to stir the dead unleavened masses of the church. 
In order to quiet the restless spirit of controversy 
and rescue the suffering church, the reigning 
princes published ordinances concerning certain 
baptismal practices, and forbade the attendance 
of their subjects upon certain universities; but, 
says a German writer, the corruption of the Luth- 
eran Church lay too deep to be affected by ad- 
visory rules, or imperative laws; the reformation 
of her offenses was not to be required at the hands 
of princes, but was only to be worked out in her 
own inmost heart through men especially in- 
trusted with her prosperity. 

The first and most prominent of these was 
Philip Jacob Spener, who was born on the 13th 
of January, in the year 1635, at Rappoldsweiler 



8 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

in Upper Alsace. He was the son of John Phihp 
Spener, who was a native of Strasburg, a counselor 
at law, and who at the time of the birth of this 
son, was private counselor and Register of the 
reigning Count of Rappoldstein. 

The young Philip's parents had eai4y dedicated 
him to the service of the church, and as he grew 
up, were not disappointed in the child' s own dis- 
position and inclination. No small influence was 
exercised in this behalf by his baptismal sponsor, 
the Countess Agathe of Rappoldstein. Being very 
fond of her small God-son, she had him often 
brought to her, and while she heaped upon him 
favors and benefactions, accompanied them with 
loving admonitions and pious instruction. 

A memorable impression was left on the boy 
by the death of this excellent woman, in his 13th 
year, and perhaps the impression was only the 
greater that her parting injunctions were left to 
his childish imagination ; for though called to her 
bedside, she was already deprived of speech, and 
he only witnessed her painful efforts to communi- 
cate to him what was in her heart to say. 

Naturally of a gentle and retiring disposition, 
he was grieved and touched at the loss of this 
friend, and turned from her death-bed to seasons 
of prayer and faithful reading of the Bible. 
Later he busied himself with Arndt's True Chris- 
tianity, and books of like character, transposing 
some favorite portions into German verse. 

His education was begun under Joachim Stall, 
who was then Court preacher at Rappoldstein, and 
who afterward became his brother-in-law by mar- 
riage with his older sister. In him he found a 
teacher both learned and pious, with whom he 
studied the Greek and Latin classics, and Philo- 
sophical Science, and who guided him in the 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. V 

study of History and Geography. Stall was, 
also, a fine preacher, and a man of exemplary 
character. He taught the young Spener thor- 
oughly from the Catechism, and so interested 
him in his sermons that the boy took notes and 
even copies of them, thereby learning his excel- 
lent and practical use of the text, which was then 
unusual. 

In his fifteenth year Spener was sent to Colomar 
to his maternal grandfather, from whence he at- 
tended the Gymnasium (College) for one year. 
Here he studied the Ancient Languages, Philos- 
ophy, Debating, and Elocution, especially de- 
lio'htino; in the last two studies. 

In 1651 he was entered as a student at the 
University of Strasburg, where his uncle Rebhahn 
was a Professor of Jurisprudence. His home 
was in the house of his uncle, who was able in 
many ways to assist him. It was here with great 
eagerness that he entered upon those studies that 
were especially preparatory for his theological 
course. Along with Philology, History and Phil- 
osophy, he read the writings of the ancient his- 
torians, especially those in the old German. He 
made unusual progress in the Hebrew and Arabic, 
and used these languages to delve into the sacred 
lore of the East. He was also especially im- 
pressed by the reading of Hugo Grotius' Rights of 
War and Peace, and the influence of this cele- 
brated book afterward affected his preaching and 
the treatment of his polemical adversaries. 

In his 18th year, after having held a dis- 
putation with Thomas Hobbes, in which he 
distinguished himself, he was made a Master of 
Philosophy by the faculty of his university. 

During this time, we find that these studies 
were but incidental to the study of the New 



10 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

Testament, which remained the chief object of all 
his student labors until in the year 1654 he com- 
menced the proper study of Theology. The 
professors who guided his theological studies 
were Sebastian Schmidt and Conrad Dannhauer; 
and these men, especially the latter, exerted an 
influence upon him, which colored and directed 
his entire future life. 

Early in the beginning of his theological 
studies, two young princes of the Palatinate, 
Christian and Ernest John Charles, were entered 
at the University, and Spener was placed over 
them as tutor. Prior to this the young theologue 
had lectured as Privat-Docent on Logic and Meta- 
physics; but the care of the young princes made 
it necessary to discontinue these lectures and to 
take up in their stead History, Geography and 
Genealogy. While these duties as tutor inter- 
fered with his study of theology much more than 
was agreeable to him, he found his lectures so 
well attended that the fees of his hearers afforded 
him a comfortable living. This was the more 
acceptable, as his parents were unable to support 
him fully at the University, and because he 
hoped in the future, through this same means, to 
continue his studies in the Saxon universities. 

In 1656 the young princes were sent to France, 
and Spener was invited to accompany them and 
continue his course of instruction. On many 
accounts he would gladly have accepted this offer; 
but he was led to decline it by reason of his de- 
sire to devote his time to theology and the con- 
tinuation of his lectures, in which decision he was 
encouraged by his professors, Dannhauer and 
Schmidt. 

Meantime, we find the young man not only 
developing in mind and coming into notice for 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 11 

his mental attainments, but also for his peculiar 
spiritual gifts and strict piety. Prior to the be- 
ginning of his academical life, and afterward by 
letters, he had been especially instructed and ad- 
monished by his tutor Stall, in regard to the 
keeping of the Sabbath. This earnest man had 
repeatedly begged his charge not only to refrain 
from everything of worldly interest and unholy 
appearance on that day, but to put aside entirely 
those theological studies which were calculated to 
make one more learned, but not more pious. 
Following this advice, Spener attended regularly 
the services of the church, being especially pleased 
with the preaching of one of the professors of the 
university, John Schmidt, whose pastoral care 
and counsel he frequently sought. After Sunday 
services it was his custom to read only such books 
as tended to spiritually edify, or to gather about 
him a few friends who joined him in the singing of 
hymns and the discussion of various Bible topics. 

In the year 1655, Spener preached his first ser- 
mon in the neighborhood of Strasburg from Luke 
i. 74, 75, and often spoke afterward of his joy in 
at once finding that especial happiness in preach- 
ing the Word of God that he had anticipated, and 
which ever afterward continued with him through 
the years in which he exercised his ministerial 
office. 

But as Spener advanced in learning and in 
spirituality, he wished the more to enjoy the 
broader culture of the various universities, and, 
therefore, in the year 1659 he left Strasburg and 
went to Basle, where he held forth as Privat Docent 
in the same line of lectures which he had pursued 
in Strasburg, and in which he met with dis- 
tinguished success and public approval. Here 
he placed himself under the celebrated John Bux- 



12 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

torf as a student of the Eastern languages, and 
also, on the occasion of a University Jubilee of 
this old university, took part in its first historical 
disputation. 

Later on, after stopping for a time in Freiburg, 
he went to Geneva with the intention of traveling 
into France, but was here attacked with an illness 
of such severity and duration that he was left too 
weak for travel, and because of his mother's 
anxiety for his health (his father being now 
dead), he traveled no further than Lyons, from 
whence he returned to Geneva. 

During his stay in Lyons he made the acquaint- 
ance of Claude Menestrier, who was a celebrated 
diplomatist, and a connoisseur of heraldry. 
Spener made use of this opportunity to study by 
his aid more deeply into the closely related field 
of Genealogy, which he had been required to 
teach. But more important was his acquaintance 
in Geneva with Anton Leger, a professor of The- 
ology, who had been preacher to a late Dutch 
Ambassador to Constantinople, and who assisted 
him in his historical studies to a better knowledge 
of the estabhshment of the Greek Church, and the 
efforts and end of the patriarch, Cyrillus Lukaris. 
This professor had also been born a Waldensian, 
and was able to inform Spener fully as to the 
history and condition of this sect. There was 
yet another Genevan acquaintance who exercised 
no small degree of influence on Spener' s future 
life ; this was John von Labadie, a preacher 
whose edifying sermons and efforts for the puri- 
fying of the corrupted church at once attracted 
the enthusiastic young man, who already had in 
view the same kind of activity. While his per- 
sonal association with the great preacher was but 
limited, he conceived for him so great a respect 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 13 

that he translated some of his writings from the 
French into German, which translation was after- 
ward published, passing through two editions. 
This admiration for Labadie, however, afterward 
brought reproach upon Spei>er, when the former 
fell under the disapprobation of the conservative . 
church partly for his continued efforts in the di- 
rection of church reform. 

During his stay in Geneva Spener was received 
with intimacy and friendship by the professors of 
the university and the higher social circles of the 
town, but returned to Strasburg to resume his 
interrupted theological studies, feeling gratefully 
conscious of the benefits resulting from his stay 
there. 

Not long after his return to Strasburg, he was 
required by the Count of Rappoldstein to accom- 
pany him in a journey to Stuttgart in order to 
attend the wedding of a Princess of Wiirtemberg 
with an East Friesland Prince. Here he was 
presented to the Grand-Duke Eberhard, the ducal 
family and other persons of distinction and high 
degree, by Avhom he was well received and who 
expressed a wish that he should remain in that 
part of the country and make Wiirtemberg the 
field of his future labors. Indeed he really went 
to Tiibingen for a few months and read lectures ; 
but while he was yet considering as to his future 
course, he received a call to a pulpit in Strasburg. 

This was a charge of great prominence, requir- 
ing a large amount of pastoral work. The young 
preacher held so high an idea of the pastoral duty 
and found himself so conscientious regarding the 
perfect administration of such a position that he 
doubted his ability to perform properly its duties. 
He feared that he should fail, both in phy&ical 
strength and the necessary mental and spiiituai 



14 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

gifts. He sought the counsel of friends, and was 
so far persuaded to accept the call, that he re- 
turned to Strasburg to examine more fully the 
proposed field of labor. But when he had done 
this, and had considered the entire circumstances, 
he felt that the work presented too many diffi- 
culties to warrant him in undertaking it. Dur- 
ing the winter following, he remained in Strasburg 
studying privately and holding public lectures. 
He expected to return to Wiirtemberg early in 
the year; but in March, 1663, through the inter- 
vention of Dannhauer, he was offered second 
place in the ministry of the city. 

This position would require the public preach- 
ing of God's Word, an activity for which he now 
heartily longed, but it left him free from all pas- 
toral duties, and afforded him time for the further 
pursuit of his theological studies. 

There is no doubt but his friends in Strasburg 
hoped by this call to win him at once to a per- 
manent professorship in the university, especially 
as he continued the reading of lectures there in 
his old lines, to which he finally added theology. 

In 1664, following the advice of his friends, 
among them his former teachers, Dannhauer and 
Schmidt, he passed his theological examination, 
held his inaugural disputation and took his de- 
gree of Doctor of Theology. 

The day of his promotion to the Doctorate 
was also the day of his marriage with Susanna 
Erhardt, the daughter of a former member of the 
Council of Strasburg, and who had been early left 
a widow. 

His marriage, Spener afterward himself says, 
was blessed of God, to whom he rendered hearty 
thanks for so true a helper as he found in his wife. 

She was of kindly and loving disposition, pos- 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 15 

sessing a warm Christian heart and a capabihty 
for management which reUeved her husband of 
all care of their practical affairs, and at the same 
time made his household an exemplary one. 
She, herself, became an ornament and honor to 
his position, through her retired and correct 
course of conduct. 

Their life together was earnest, but gentle and 
loving ; and was mutually profitable and strength- 
ening in the duties which they undertook. Eleven 
children were born to them, six sons and five 
daughters. Five of these died before the father, 
two of the sons when just about entering honor- 
able positions in life ; but the other six continued 
a joy and blessing to the parents to the end of 
their days. One daughter married Rechenberg, 
afterward a Leipzig professor, and another was 
married to a pastor named Birnbaum. Spener's 
household was also gladdened by the presence of 
his wife's mother, who is described by him as an 
excellent Christian woman who loved him as her 
own son. 

By his promotion and marriage Spener was 
now in most promising circumstances for the dis- 
charge of the duties of his chosen office. For 
two years he labored therein with an earnestness 
which brought the most gratifying results to the 
church and constantly increasing distinction for 
himself. But now came a call, which, though 
entirely unsought by himself, was one of the most 
important events of his life. It was this event 
that shaped his entire future and brought him 
more and more into notice before the religious 
world. The imperial city, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
selected him as first pastor of the city, and this 
position carried with it the office ol Senior Coun- 
cillor of the Spiritual Ministerium. In all the 



16 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

changes of Spener's life, not one was of his own 
seeking. He beheved and taught that the min- 
ister must be called to his office by God through 
the established agencies of the Church without 
any advances of his own toward the office. He 
further, fearing the involuntary influence of self- 
interest, believed that others than the candidate 
should decide upon his fitness and worthiness for 
the proffered position, and that the final decision 
must rest alone upon the promise of increased 
benefit to Christ's kingdom, and that the personal 
advantage of the man and the preacher should 
have no weight in the conditions. 

What wonder then that Spener doubted the 
wisdom of this call and his ability to fulfil its 
requirements? He was but thirty-one years of 
age, and those who would be his colleagues in 
office were grey-haired and elderly men who 
would themselves belong more properly to such a 
position, by reason of their wider experience in 
the exercise of the ministerial office. The pas- 
toral charge here would, also, be much greater 
and more difficult than the one he had so feared 
to enter upon in Strasburg. Added to these 
difficulties which presented themselves in this 
proffered field of labor, was the feeling of attach- 
ment to his present position. He was with a city 
w^hich had been the home of his parents, and had 
now long since become his own; it had also af- 
forded him the kindest support, and had of its 
own free will called him to a position that still 
promised much for his future usefulness. 

Unable to decide for himself so important a 
step, and fearing that his friends might be influ- 
enced by their interest in him to overrate his fit- 
ness for so high a position, he left the matter to 
be settled by the two cities of Strasburg and 
Frankfort. 



8pe:n'er and his work. 17 

To this end he addressed a communication to 
the City Council of Strasbnrg. He set out fully 
the state of affairs, and gave reasons for and 
against his acceptance of the call, begging them 
to decide for him in this difficult and important 
matter. The Council called to its aid the theo- 
logical faculty of the university, and by them in 
joint conference it was decided that the call was 
of a nature that demanded his acceptance. 
Spener believed this to be the voice of God, and 
proceeded to obey it. On the 3d of July he took 
public leave of the city and his people in a fare- 
well sermon which he preached in the Minster. 

The cholera was raging in Frankfort, but this 
did not prevent his immediate removal there with 
his family. The 20th of July witnessed his de- 
parture from Strasburg, and upon his arrival in 
his new field of labor, he at once entered upon 
its duties, which as yet but slightly indicated the 
breadth and importance of his future work anrl 
its ever increasing difficulties. 
2 



CHAPTER II. 

SPENER AS SENIOR OF THE MINISTERIUM AT FRANK- 
FORT HIS PREACHING AND EFFORTS FOR THE 

REFORM OF THE CHURCH HIS OPINIONS ON CHURCH 

GOVERNMENT. 

Spener was now the first minister of the chief 
capital city of Germany, and all eyes were turned 
npon him. Some movement was expected from 
a man, who, though so young, had been found 
worthy of so important a position. None, how- 
ever, felt the importance and responsibility of the 
situation more than he himself. 

He wished to assume such an attitude toward 
the city government and his colleagues as should 
not give offense; but from the first he resolved to 
carry out those principles which promised most 
for the enlargement of God's kingdom. He de- 
cided to hold himself aloof from the worldly 
affairs of the state, and to show to the govern- 
ment proper honor and respect. But he reserved 
to himself the right to admonish and reprove his 
rulers in the matters of his own office and their 
own spiritual interest when necessary. This he 
hoped always to do with all possible gentleness 
and privacy. 

Toward his fellow-workers in the Lord's vine- 
yard, he wished to show the hearty love which 
he felt, and hoped never to use to his own profit 
or advantage the authority with whichhe was in- 
vested. Especially did he desire to leave to his 
(18) 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 19 

colleagues the utmost freedom of thought and 
judgment. 

By his preaching he aimed at the uprooting of 
the prevailing condition of worldliness and carnal 
assurance, hoping to plant in its stead a living 
and fruitful faith. With this end in view, he 
determined upon the greatest simplicity in his 
sermonizing, and a close personal approach to the 
people under his care, hoping to direct intelli- 
gently their upbuilding in the true spiritual faith. 

On the first of August, after reaching Frank- 
fort, he appeared before his people in his first 
discourse. He chose for his text these words 
from Romans: '' I am not ashamed of the Gospel 
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation 
to every one that believeth." This he treated 
simply and clearly, closely following the text, 
explaining the power of the Divine Word and 
how it must be used for the healing of souls. He 
said that the Gospel must make Christians and 
save men, that it could not do otherwise. So 
long, therefore, as the Gospel had freedom and an 
uninterrupted course, it would go well with the 
Church, however hard and miserable her outward 
circumstances might appear. Since this, then, 
was the means of her prosperity, for this blessing 
should God be continualh^ invoked, and to this 
object should the deliberations of the Church be 
directed. Further, in the course of the sermon, 
he said: '^But as the Scriptures and the preach- 
ing of the word have so much sacredness and so 
much power, the exhortation arises, that we 
habitually regard them with reverence, and bear 
in mind that those who possess the Scriptures 
should read them with care (since he does dis- 
honor to the Gospel who will not permit it to 
exert its power), and those who read it should do 



20 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

it with devotion, as is becoming in so sacred an 
employment. ' ' 

Again he said: '' Those who preach the Gospel 
should reflect that they speak not the words of 
men, but the power of God. They should be- 
ware, therefore, lest they mingle with it any 
thoughts of their own, and thereby corrupt it, 
lest they neglect to go about it with reverence and 
care, and read it as the word of God, and lest they 
take a glory in preaching sermons without due 
preparation; for as far as is consistent with other 
duties they should study them with care. If the 
Gospel is the Gospel of Christ, we are thereby ad- 
monished, that as the preacher should desire to 
preach nothing else, so the hearers should desire 
to hear nothing else; not human trifling and 
merry tales to produce laughter in the church; 
not deep speculation which none of the hearers 
can understand (then it would be called a gospel 
of over-wise reason); not the histories or empty 
services of the saints (then it might be called the 
gospel of the saints, and not of the spotless Christ) ; 
nor yet mere morality; for although it is proper 
that morality should be impressed upon the 
Church, it is not its first and immediate aim, but 
is to be awaited as a result, not looked to as a 
means. The heathen had as correct morals as 
perhaps Christians can ever portray; yet they 
had not the Gospel of Christ, and, therefore, knew 
nothing of its saving power. Even Jews and 
Turks, the false believers, can discourse on morals 
and extol them, but know nothing of the saving 
power of the Gospel and its correct doctrines." 

' ' But, ' ' he went on to say, ' ' so long as the 
Scriptures merely lie upon the shelf, and are not 
heard or read, so long must they be considered 
simply as standing alone on the page; certainly 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 21 

they could not be in such a case the power of 
God, but a dead and powerless work. The ser- 
mon also which is not heard, or is heard inat- 
tentively; — there it lies accurately written or 
printed, yet it has not such power. It may be 
compared to the rod of Moses: when laid aside in 
the evening it was, perhaps, a mere whip or stick; 
but when Moses brought it forth, and used it ac- 
cording to the command of God, it was the instru- 
ment by which the Almighty performed wonderful 
works. Or, it was like a great organ standing 
untouched without sound or song, but which 
played upon, became alive and tuneful. The 
power is there that is able to bring light to the 
human heart, to convince it of truth, remove its 
fettering hardness, to awaken faith which shall 
make it righteous and a sharer in the Holy Spirit, 
and keep it strong and comforted unto the end." 

"This," said he, "is the power that is hidden 
in the Word of God, and which is exercised 
through it when received into the hearts of men." 
Then he went on to show the necessity of a proper 
reception of the word, the conditions which pre- 
vented it, and the preparation and conduct of 
life which would permit the word to operate on 
the heart and mind. 

Such a sermon would seem common enough if 
preached now at the close of the 19th century; 
but so near the middle of the 17th century, when 
the people were accustomed to listen to long and 
bitter discourses against heretics, dr}^ essays on 
morality or tedious discussions of non-essential 
doctrines, drawn out to the finest point in care- 
fully studied definitions, sharpened to turn the 
edge of some adversary's steel, this sort of preach- 
ing, founded on the Divine Word, without ora- 
torical or rhetorical display, and rising, as it 



22 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

manifestly did from a heart fervent and alive 
with faith, made a deep impression upon his 
hearers. 

This was a type of all his future sermons, by 
the use of which he so materially improved the 
wretched style of the pulpit oratory of his time. 
Even at the present time much might be learned 
from the earnest simplicity, the strict adherence 
to scriptural truth by which he stirred the hearts 
of his people and the admirable application of 
the same to the known condition and circum- 
stances of his hearers. Yet his sermons were in 
a language not then developed to give expression 
to the highest culture, and were often necessarily 
of a rambling length that would not in these days 
be suffered in the pulpit. This latter fault was 
doubtless owing to the neglected state of popular 
religion, which required minute explanations of 
simple doctrines and passages of Scripture that 
should have been familiar. But Spener's preach- 
ing arose from quite another source than that 
w^hich the scholastic treatment of theology pre- 
vailing at that time could furnish. His ow^n 
piety, nourished by the early teachings of Stall, 
and later by the fervent spirit of Dannhauer and 
Schmidt, and his constant study of the Scriptures, 
sought its own expression. 

He had never heard of homiletics, much less 
studied them, so that he w^as not confused by the 
various methods of sermonizing. He says re- 
garding methods, that he had allowed himself to 
forget that he had ever studied Elocution or Ora- 
tory; that he never observed the form of a sermon 
which he heard, but only the excellent things 
contained therein. '' For," said he, ''it must be 
the Gospel which points out the way to Christ's 
children. These words of grace are like the 
blessed daw- n pregnant with sw^eet dews. ' ' 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 23 

The failures of form in his sermonizing he knew 
full well, saying that he was unable to bring him- 
self within acceptable brevity. He had not the 
gift of nervous, direct address. His power lay in 
the broad and complete working-out of his text. 
His sermons w^ere all carefully written and thor- 
oughly studied before preaching. The slightest 
changes in the pulpit reading were carefully 
noted as emendations on his return home. This 
care and his usual use of manuscript was no doubt 
due to the teaching of his old preceptor Schmidt, 
who impressed upon him the proverb: " Dass 
Junge Bldttler alte Bettler gaben^^'' and admonished 
his pupils continually as to care and industry in 
the preparation of sermons. 

Spener's preaching was largeh^ attended, and 
did not fail to show^ the hoped for fruits among 
his hearers. At first he preached after the usual 
Lutheran custom from the gospel for the day; but 
after a time he complained of feeling limited by 
thus adhering to the Perikope, since the people 
did not receive enough of the Word of God to un- 
derstand it intelligently in its breadth and fulness. 
Yet he feared to repulse and confuse his hearers 
by a decided departure from this custom, and 
sought another method by which they might 
hear more of the Scripture without offense. To 
this end, therefore, he so separated the intro- 
ductions from the sermons proper that they 
formed by themselves a regular series of propo- 
sitions on various doctrines. He then went on 
through the Epistles of Paul to the Romans and 
Corinthians in a condensed manner, and after- 
wards the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians 
and Galatians, explaining them verse by verse. 
When he took up his regular text he drew from 
it a theme to the aid of which he brought refer- 



24 SPENEE, AND HIS WORK. 

ences from the New Testament, which were not 
oontamed in the Perikope. So he strove not only 
for the edification of his hearers, but he led them 
to the true sources of Christianity and the means 
by which they might of themselves advance in 
righteous life and character. 

But it was not long before Spener discovered 
that the great cause of failure in these his aims, 
was the inability of his people to understand 
preaching. This he believed to be due to a lack 
of doctrinal instruction and knowledge of the 
whole Scripture, and he at once concerned him- 
self about remedying this evil. The Catechism 
was taught in Frankfort, it is true; but in a 
negligent and merely formal manner. Spener 
held a consultation with his colleagues in office 
as to how the character of this teaching could be 
changed. It was decided among them, that in 
the afternoon services the same material should 
be treated that should be afterward explained in 
the catechetical classes, and as the afternoon ser- 
vice was UFually but sparsely attended, he him- 
self undeiiook to make of the catechism lesson an 
introduction to his regular morning sermon. 
Thus catechetical teaching became a part of the 
service before the regular preaching. In this 
way he succeeded in interesting not only the 
young, but those in whose charge they were, who 
began now more earnestly to interest themselves 
in the preparation of their children and servants 
for church membership, and even to attend with 
them the open courses of catechetical instruction. 
It became the custom to bring Bibles to the 
church that his excellent explanations might be 
closely followed; and with this interest once 
aroused, the reading of the Scripture in the home 
and the worship together of the assembled family 
became more the custom than hitherto. 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 25 

Spener possessed a special gift for Bible teach- 
ing and catechisation, and though at first his 
catechetical lectures were attended more especially 
by children and those preparing especially for the 
first communion, one after another, all ages and 
classes of people became interested and attracted 
until the congregation became as large as at the 
regular preaching service. Many even confessed 
to more spiritual help than they found in the 
other services. Sf)ener continued this exercise 
every Sunday afternoon, exerting himself in all 
ways to establish and broaden an institution 
which he believed to be the chief means of build- 
ing up anew the languishing Church. Frankfort 
Avas a great commercial city, and was much vis- 
ited by the traveling public, especially at the time 
when the commercial fairs were held there, with 
all that pomp and splendor of united Europe. 

Even these visitors were at last drawn by the 
increasing reputation of this diligent young 
preacher, to attend his catechetical lectures. 
One, a certain Baron von Helmont, greatly 
praised his work. But he also gave utterance to 
the doubt that this intellectual apprehension 
would really not bring forth good results in the 
life and disposition. He ended his remarks with 
the question: ''How can we transfer the head 
into the heart? " 

These Avords stung the earnest Spener to the 
heart, and he once more considered how he might 
most effectively use the Scriptures to produce 
holy living. 

He was induced b}^ his friends to publish his 
catechetical discourses in the form of questions 
and answers under the title of ''A Simple Expo- 
sition of Christian Doctrine, after the order of 
Luther's Smaller Catechism." This work was 



26 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

favorably received throughout Germany, and 
measurably supplanted the less perfect compends 
then in use. 

In its introduction he pointed out to parents 
and teachers its proper use, and strove to impress 
upon them that it was not designed to store the 
memory, but to enlighten the mind and touch 
the heart. 

His colleagues were sensible of his superior 
skill in catechising, and requested him to furnish 
them with written advice upon the subject. 
Therefore, in 1683, he published his ''Cate- 
chetical Tables,'' which were extensively used 
in religious instruction. 

Spener had wished that the attendance upon 
and the delivery of catechetical instruction might 
be ordered by law; but much more did he desire 
that the people should be inclined to attend freely. 
He was gratified in the extreme as this inclina- 
tion became more and more apparent. 

The custom of confirming the 5'oung in the 
open assemblages of the church had fallen into 
disuse, and the service of confirmation was held 
privately in the houses of those who wished it. 
This Spener felt should be changed, and the cus- 
tom of Reformation times in regard to confirma- 
tion revived. At his instance, it was ordered by 
laAv that all confirmations should be made pub- 
licly and in the churches except in the cities, 
where it was thought best to leave it optional. 
But these public services were found to be of so 
much spiritual importance that, even in the cities, 
they became more and more the general custom. 

Always concerned for the highest welfare of the 
Church, and active in its spiritual upbuilding, 
Spener added yet another public service, which 
produced a lasting effect upon the condition of 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 27 

the Church. In the year 1669 he preached a 
sermon on the righteousness of the Pharisees, 
showing the hypocritical and merit-seeking char- 
acter of the Christianity of his time, and reproving 
and condemning it, as it well deserved. This 
caused no inconsiderable commotion among his 
people. A few who felt themselves offended 
complained loudly, declaring that they would 
never again listen to his preaching. But Spener 
had aroused his people from their imagined se- 
curity for a purpose, and proceeded to carry it 
forward with only the greater determination be- 
cause of the feeling he had occasioned. He 
pointed out the ill conditions of the church, but 
he also provided a remedy which he believed 
w^ould cure all its evils. This was the more dili- 
gent use and study of the Word of God. Through 
this means he hoped for a more complete knowl- 
edge of the doctrine of justification by faith, 
w^herewith to destroy the growing confidence in 
w^orldly offices and the merit of good works. He 
believed that his people could not come to a 
sufficient knowledge of the Scripture by what 
they heard in the church, unless this was sus- 
tained by piety in the home and a continuation 
of scriptural studies. 

He, therefore, encouraged them to meet in 
small companies at various houses on Sunday 
afternoon for Bible study and the discussion of 
scriptural themes for mutual edification. But 
fearing that these assemblies might too readily be 
diverted from their true purpose, and that they 
might also become the subject of remark and 
suspicion, he proposed to bring the people to- 
gether in his ow^n study and himself to undertake 
the leadership of the meeting. In all this he 
consulted his colleagues and met with their ap- 



28 SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 

proval and often with their co-operation. He 
did not think it necessary to consult the City 
Council; but they were soon informed of the 
movement, and the four members who had es- 
pecial oversight of the church expressed their 
entire approbation of the movement. 

This was the origin of the Collegia Pietatis, which 
afterward called forth so much bitter criticism, 
but which was in part the means of a great change 
in the church hfe of the people. 

At first the meetings were attended by persons 
of humble character, but later the attendance 
became general and greatly increased, and in- 
cluded divines, lawyers, doctors, merchants, me- 
chanics, men and women of all stations and 
conditions of life. The greater part of the people 
came as listeners only, but those who joined in 
the discussions were of the more learned and 
cultured classes. The women were separated 
from the rest of the assembly, sitting where they 
could hear, but not be seen. After various small 
changes and under the wise leadership of Spener, 
these meetings, then so famous for their novelty 
and their general interest, came to correspond, in 
effect, to our present weekly prayer-meeting. 
They were assembled twice each week, on Mon- 
days and Wednesdays. At the former time 
Spener repeated his last sermon, further explain- 
ing any obscure points, inviting questions and 
correcting misapprehensions, while the latter 
meeting was devoted to prayer and the expound- 
ing of the Scriptures. All this was done with 
the intent of awakening a more intelligent and 
active Christianity. 

These meetings were the means of rich blessings 
to Spener' s ministry in Frankfort. At first they 
had caused some uneasiness, and also some un- 



SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 29 

pleasant and slanderous reports; but the reports 
proving false, the uneasiness abated, and for 
some time these pious assemblages met with gen- 
eral approval. 

After a time, however, when Spener came to be 
regarded as a reformer of the Lutheran Church, 
meetings of this character became general through- 
out the entire Church. Under other leadership, 
and doubtless owing to the undue excitement of 
religious reaction, abuses and departures from 
order and good doctrine crept into some of the 
meetings, and the good which resulted was not 
unmixed with evil. 

About this time there appeared a new edition 
of Arndt's Postils. Spener seized the oppor- 
tunity to write an introduction to the book, in 
which he gave full expression to those desires for 
a holy church life which now possessed his entire 
being. This was so well received and eagerly 
read that the same year it was re-issued in the 
form of a tract under the title of '' Pious Desires, 
or heart-felt longings after a God-pleasing better- 
ment of the true Evangelical Church, with some 
simple Christian propositions to that end." This 
was accompanied by two treatises upon the 
subject, by his two brothers-in-law. Stall and 
Horbius. 

In the short introduction to the work Spener 
apologizes that he, still a young and unimportant 
theologian, should appear before the church in 
so weighty a matter, and then proceeds as follows: 
*' Let us all together do that which is required of 
us to feed the flock which God through his own 
blood has purchased. Let us think, dear fathers 
and brethren, what we have promised our God 
whom we are privileged to serve, and what, there- 
fore, our chief care should be: let us think on the 



30 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

terrible reckoning with him that awaits us; of the 
unguarded souls that he will require at our hands; 
let us think that not once will be asked, how 
learned we have been and have appeared before 
the world, in what favor with men we have lived 
and what favor SYe have known how to maintain, in 
what honor we have moved and what great names 
we have left behind, how much of treasure and 
worldly goods we have laid in store and there- 
with called curses upon ourselves, but rather 
with what sincere and simple hearts we have 
striven to advance the kingdom of God, with 
what pure and pious doctrine, with what worthy 
example in scorning the world, denying our- 
selves, taking up the cross and following our 
Saviour we have sought the edification of our 
hearers. With what eagerness we have set our- 
selves, not only against error but against godless 
lives; with what constancy and joy we have borne 
offenses from false brethren or an openly godless 
world, and have praised God in our suffering. 
Let us, therefore, be industrious in the examina- 
tion of ourselves and the failures of the Church, 
that we may learn the afflicting maladies, and 
search out the remedies with more eager calling 
on the Lord for his Spirit's light. And let us 
not, meanwhile, stand still, but let us attempt, 
each in his own congregation as he may, to put 
to use those means which seem necessary and 
profitable. For of what service are all reforma- 
tory propositions when we make no effort to live 
accordingly? If we must suffer from opposition, 
let it be only a more certain sign that our work 
pleases the Lord, that he allows it to be so tested, 
and in nowise grow weary or relax our zealous 
efforts. What is impossible for men is possible 
for God. God's hour must come, if we will but 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 31 

wait. Must others bring forth fruit in patience, 
SO5 also, must we, and also require it of others in 
patience. The Lord's work moves wonderfully, 
even as it is wonderful, but even on that account 
is it hidden from us, the much more certainly lest 
Ave neglect it. If God giveth thee not the joy to 
behold at once the effect of thy work, no doubt 
he will conceal it from thee lest thou shouldest 
boast of thyself. There standeth grass that thou 
thinkest to be unfruitful grass, keep on with thy 
watering, finally therefrom will grow timely ears. 
Much more, let us commend our work to the 
father, earnestly praying, and be satisfied with 
such success as he permits us to see. Also, let 
us all with heart-felt devotion help one another, 
striving with prayer and pleading, that God will 
here and there, one after another, open the doors 
of the Word that we may fruitfully speak of the 
mysteries of Christ, that we may speak gladly as 
is due, and glorify his name by teaching, living 
and suffering." 

The little work itself began with a look at the 
completely corrupted state of the Church, with a 
powerful presentation of the chief prevailing sins 
in government. Church and home by the sight of 
which the Jews as well as the Catholics were 
frightened away from the Evangelical Church on 
the ground that it could be no true church. He 
showed also that it was not possible to cover its 
shame by calling on the purity of its doctrine, 
and that the Reformation begun by Luther in re- 
lation to the virtues of the Christian life was not 
yet finished, but had paused in the middle of its 
course. 

Then he encouraged the abolition of these 
abuses, supporting himself by the direction of the 
Scripture for the coming better condition of the 



32 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

Church on earth, which should be followed by the 
return of the Jews and the fall of papistical Rome. 
He showed that, even though perfection was not 
to be reached, it must yet be possible to bring the 
Church nearer to the glorious example of the first 
Christian congregation. 

As the first means to this end he recommended 
the '^ abundant spread of the Word of God.'' 
*'This," declared Spener, '^is the true source of 
Evangelical life, which though so fully given to 
the public, does not yet flow full enough, partl}^ 
because of preaching from pre-determined texts 
(the Perikopes)^ while the rest of the Scripture 
remained largely untouched, partly because of 
the inability of the hearers to understand a con- 
secutive sermon^ Therefore, it was necessary to 
make the study of the Scripture a household 
duty, and this he thought could be required when 
occasionally the books of the Bible were one after 
another read in the church with some cursory 
explanation. He thought that it also would 
prove wholesome, if the old Apostolic kind of 
church gatherings were again to become custom- 
ary, that there might be, beside the visual open 
church service, yet another assemblage. Here he 
hoped that besides the teacher, others, who might 
be prepared, should, under the oversight of a 
minister, read aloud from the Scriptures and 
voice his thoughts and doubts concerning it, and 
from others, as well as from the minister, receive 
light upon it. This he felt would tend to culti- 
vate confidence between pastor and people, and 
also among the people themselves, when guided 
by a wise preacher. He hoped also by this to 
help the people to a more exact knowledge of the 
Scripture for household use and leadership, as 
well as to a better understanding of the needs of 
the Church and greater ability to correct its abuses. 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 33 

The second of these remedial propositions was 
the sincere and industrious exercise of the spirit- 
ual priesthood. Spener here refers to 1st Peter ii. 
9, saying that all Christians are anointed priests 
by the Holy Ghost without exception, and stand 
in the spiritual office, so that in case of need they 
may administer its duties. '^ The doctrine of the 
priesthood," said Spener, ^^is the chief error of 
the Romish Church, while it is as well the chief 
support of their power over the laity and the 
means by which they are kept in idleness, vicious- 
ness and ignorance, that the clergy, in their pride, 
may be sustained as the only spiritual authorit}^ 
Luther could not have inflicted a greater wound 
upon the Romish Church than by calling all Chris- 
tians anew to the universal priesthood; because 
this imphes that one may have especial power in 
searching the Word of God, another may be able, 
more especially, to teach his household compan- 
ions, to admonish, to reprove, to comfort, to turn 
to repentance, to edify, to watch over their lives, 
to care for their piety, and to do all that in pri- 
vate, which belongs to the public service of the 
Church. The orderly use of this priesthood does 
not encroach upon the office of the preacher, but 
is rather its necessary supplement, and quite a 
different condition of things would obtain in the 
Church were it not so entirely lost sight of. ' ' 

In the third place, he would require the incul- 
cation of the idea that Christianity does not con- 
sist of doctrine alone, but much more of spirit 
and practice, which should be expressed in works 
of unselfish love, submission of will, abstaining 
from revenge, a peaceful mind, which would 
gladly do good to an enemy, and which to these 
ends, lived in friendship and confidence with the 
pastor, or some other spiritually enlightened per- 
o 



34 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

son, that they might the better receive good coun- 
sel and advice. 

The fourth proposition concerned the. conduct 
of religious controversies with unbelievers or those 
in error. For these, Spener recommended sincere 
prayers, good example, profound, but modest ex- 
planation of the truth, without severity, in the 
exercise of Christian love; and showed that the 
only hope for union of the various divisions of 
the Christian Church lay in such methods as God 
could bless. He believed that disputation was 
necessary for the maintenance of pure doctrine; 
but he condemned the then prevailing manner of 
it, which brought strange fire in the holy place of 
the Lord; and which being directed more fre- 
quentl}^ toward the overthrow of an opponent 
than the search after and defense of the truth, 
broke out in passionate anger. He declared that 
disputation was not alone the means of preserving 
the truth; but that it must be combined with love 
and the fervent anxiety, not only to convince one's 
adversary, but also to turn such a conviction to 
his spiritual profit. 

Above all he desired in the fifth place, for the 
reform of the Church, an entirely different educa- 
tion and culture of the divinity students in the 
schools and universities. He wished that the 
teachers and professors would not only persevere 
in the ''sharpening of the golden truth," but 
would set their students a worthy example of its 
living results, and that they might lay stress upon 
pious lives, as well as diligence in study. He 
advised that a strict watch be kept over the morals 
of the student, and that on entering upon the 
study of theology they be required to bring evi- 
dence of good moral character as well as of suf- 
ficient learning. He thought that only the very 



SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 35 

best of the students should be taught m polemics, 
that they might become true defenders of a pure 
faith ; that the disputations should be held in the 
German language rather than the Latin, but that 
disputation should be limited to essential things, 
and the theology be brought back to Apostolic 
simplicity. He advised more of Bible study for 
the student and the use of purely pious books, 
and less dogmatic discussion ; also the occasional 
exercise of the ministerial office in teaching and 
comforting the sick, that they might understand 
the necessity of proper preparation. 

The sixth and last proposition related to better 
and more edifying preaching. He condemned 
the then prevailing custom of an exhibition of 
learning in the pulpit, quotations in foreign lan- 
guages, and the artful fitting together of obscure 
disquisitions. He declared that Christianity con- 
sisted of the new creature, in whose soul the ope- 
ration of belief brought forth fruit in the life ; 
that it was not enough to hear the word with the 
carnal ear, but that the Holy Ghost must be heard 
therein, and that the preached Word must sink 
into the heart. He declared that it was not 
enough to be baptized ; but that men must hold 
fast to Christ and witness to him by righteous 
lives. It was also not enough to receive the holy 
communion, but that also the soul therein must 
be nourished. In hke manner he spoke of prayer 
and of the service of God in the Church, teaching 
that all true service was but the expression of the 
inner life, and that anything else was but rank 
hypocrisy. 

Great above all expectation was the commotion 
which this little treatise produced. Expression 
had frequently been given to like complaints over 
the corruption of the Church, sometimes in the 



36 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

form of the sharpest polemics^ sometimes as the 
bitterest satire; but never with the gentleness of 
deeply Christian spirit striking so directly at the 
root of the evil. It was also commended by the 
practical, propositions for reform w^hich accom- 
panied it; and it w^as little wonder that on every 
hand Spener received congratulations and letters 
of approval from theologians and statesmen anx- 
ious for the reform of church conditions. Moved 
by this w^ork of Spener' s, there immediately ap- 
peared others of the same character, in whole or 
in part approving of his plans and wishes. These 
w^ere by some of the most celebrated theologians 
and preachers of the time, among whom were 
Balthasar Menzer and Benedict Carpzov, who 
afterward became his bitterest enemies. 

Among these were some who would not give 
countenance to his hope for the return of the JewS 
and the appearance of better times for the Church, 
and complained that he undervalued the scho- 
lastic theology. Otliers recalled the establishment 
of the Collegia Pietatis, and fearing that they would 
result in dangerous abuses, believed that it w^ould 
be well if they were forbidden in the churches. 

But more important than all written opinions, 
was the fact that efforts were at once made in many 
places for the carrying out of the propositions for 
reform by men of noted piety and ability. In- 
deed, in Wurtemburg, this was finally ordered by 
law. 

Spener expressed himself as greatly encouraged 
that so many of his contemporaries had felt the 
condition of the Church and experienced the same 
desire concerning it. He felt that his owm efforts 
had been blessed, and that his humble little book 
had become an awakening voice which called so 
many together in this good w^ork. 



SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 37 

He believed as the movement became better 
known throughout Germany and its northern 
provinces, that there would be a general improve- 
ment of the Church, and he expressed a hope 
that each in his place, and according to his gifts 
and opportunity, would work to this end. 

The rich blessing which attended this work, had, 
with many people, produced too great a conscious- 
ness of power, so that its good results were too 
often hindered by an excess of enthusiasm. But 
with Spener this could not occur. His humility 
was equal to his power, and his thoughtfulness to 
his enthusiasm. He knew but too well that a gen- 
eral reformation of the Church was a tremendous 
work in which the help of the government was ne- 
cessary, and that this aid, under the existing condi- 
tions, was not to be hoped for. He foresaw, and 
found that it so proved in all his after experience, 
that all church reforms must begin with the pas- 
te rs, and from these the most opposition was to 
be expected. He had, further, already found that 
all good things prospered slowly, and that many 
unforeseen and insurmountable obstacles must 
arise. Therefore, he counseled all those who 
would act upon his propositions, to move carefully 
and moderately, and especially in the beginning, 
not to go to any extremity lest later the movement 
might in its novelty l^ecome uncontrollable. He 
warned especially against an attempt immediately 
to unite the various parties of the Church by 
these efforts, believing that in this way all good 
results would be lost. He bade them remember 
that good fruit was not to be expected of a wild 
tree. 



CHAPTER III. 

SPEXEr's COXTEOYERSIES HIS SICKNESS — HIS CALL 

TO DRESDEN. 

During the summer of 1676 Spener gathered 
about him a few students and candidates of the- 
ology, and read the Scripture with them. They 
began with the First Epistle of John, comparing 
the German translation with various others, and 
searching out the meaning of each passage. Then 
they considered its dogmatical importance, its 
practical application and most especially the edi- 
hcation which it afforded. 

While he was the promoter of a gradual trans- 
formation of the Lutheran Church, he did not 
wish to be considered in the light of a reformer, 
and refused to listen to the words of praise which 
greeted him on every side. 

"I know well," he wrote to a friend, 'Hhat 
the work of Reformation is not the work of a man, 
but of the Lord of the Church. I am not the 
principal nor shall I be the principal, as such 
gifts are not mine. It is more honor than I de- 
serve that God has so blessed my Pious Desires^ 
that it has as a far-sounding voice awakened and 
encouraged some, not to learn of me, but to con- 
sider the affairs of the Church according to their 
gifts which they have from God, and which, used 
in his service, will be increased. I do not see in 
this awakening that God will have more for me 
to do than the work of my particular congrega- 
(38) 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 39 

tion, unless it be that I may use every oppor- 
tunity to encourage the simple-minded, and edify 
a few good friends through our mutual corre- 
spondence. ' ' 

Again in 1681 he expressed himself much in 
the same way: '^I could not permit myself the 
folly of appearing as a reformer of the Church; I 
realize my own weakness and that I have not the 
wisdom or the power. Let me be satisfied that I 
may be among those who help to encourage the 
reformation which the Lord intends. ' ' And three 
years later, he says: '^In the great work of the 
improvement of the Church, I do not find in my- 
self at all the necessary ability. I will say noth- 
ing of the lack of scholarship and the natural 
intellectual gifts, but of the chief failure of wisdom 
and prudence, which I so often experience in the 
peculiar affairs of my present office, that I am 
ashamed, and know not where to turn for counsel. 
How would it be, then, should I attempt to adapt 
myself to a higher position ? Especially do I 
lack the power of God from on high, which is 
very weak in me, and my natural timidity, even 
in trifling things, is so difficult to overcome that 
it is never sufficient to undertake those things 
which require true heroism. I lack indeed these 
witnesses of a godly call." 

These declarations were not empty words, but 
the sincere speech of a man who measured him- 
self and his work by Luther and like heroes of 
the faith, and who, aware of his peculiar disposi- 
tion, attempted no violent tearing down and 
upbuilding of the Church, but a gradual and 
quiet improvement. 

He found still more reason to decline the name 
of a reformer, when, after the appearance of his 
'■ ' Pious Desires, ' ' he found it praised by some 



40 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

and condemned by others. Many of these latter 
persons did not openly express their condemna- 
tion, but announced their disaffection by vilest 
slanders. Especially were his house-meetings a 
cause of displeasure to some of his fellow-towns- 
men. Some who found themselves roused from 
dreams of carnal security, declared that he exag- 
gerated the requirements of morality to an extent 
beyond the reach of human nature. 

Spener had long suffered all manner of evil at 
the hands of such people in Frankfort, especially, 
through darkly circulated reports concerning him 
and his followers and their meetings. Now when 
his '' Pious Desires " brought these meetings into 
general notice, and others set to work to carry out 
his propositions, there was anxiety among those 
theologians who were offended by Spener' s com- 
plaints, and yet had no desire to forsake the ease 
of their idle orthodoxy. Fearing, also, further 
innovations which might finally result in their 
disturbance, yet not venturing to oppose it 
openly, they set afloat the most adventurous re- 
ports, and also received and spread abroad what- 
ever reached their ears from Frankfort concerning 
Spener and his work, without knowledge or proof 
of their truth. 

Throughout Germany were carried reports of 
the Frankfort Quakers and Labadists: how they 
practiced community of goods, and had separated 
themselves from the Church; how women and 
servant maids preached, learned Greek and He- 
brew, and taught it to their children; how all of 
Spener' s followers wore only linen clothing, and 
might be known by thin, sickly and bleached 
faces; how the men abused the women because 
they neglected their households for these meetings; 
that the women robbed their famiHes of all deli- 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 41 

cacies that the}^ might consume them among these 
friends; how finally the founder of this disorder 
had made the meetings in his house an oppor- 
tunity for theft, had been charged with it and 
suspended from office, and that many of his fol- 
lowers had suffered most dishonorable imprison- 
ment. Such reports as these came to Spener from 
all sides, and caused him in 1677 to have pub- 
lished a pamphlet entitled ' 'A letter to a foreign 
minister concerning the impressions that had been 
spread against his doctrines and the so-called 
Collegia Pietatis.'''' In this he showed the ground- 
lessness and falsity of these accusations, by actual 
investigations made by himself and his colleagues, 
and also by the city government, through properly 
signed and authenticated statements. Here was 
direct proof of a very opposite condition of things, 
and for a time this served to suppress these evil 
reports. But the fire was only smothered and 
not quenched, nor could it be, while there was a 
theological bellows in the neighborhood which 
constantly fanned the flame. 

Balthazar Menzer, chief Court preacher in 
Darmstadt, had in the beginning openly approved 
the ^' Pious Desires" and the propositions which 
it contained; but he suddenly changed his mind, 
when another Court preacher, John Winkler, in- 
stituted assemblies in his ,house after the manner 
of those at Frankfort. Menzer had great ' influ- 
ence with the Landgrave, and not only succeeded 
in having these meetings suppressed, but caused 
Winkler's removal to Mannheim, whence he was 
called to a superintendency at Wernheim. 

In the meantime, the princely privy councillor 
at Darmstadt, Kriegsmann, a man of some theo- 
logical ability and of fine Christian character, ap- 
peared as a defender of the Collegia Pietatis^ in a 



42 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

small pamphlet, entitled, '' Christian Symphony, " 
in which he attempted to show from Matthew 
xviii. 19, 20, their edifying and salutary- effect. 
In this pamphlet were some allusions to Menzer 
and his preaching, and this so enraged Menzer, 
that he caused the advance copies to be bought 
up, and at the same time had warning letters sent 
to the Consistories of Darmstadt and Giessen, and 
the preachers under them, commanding that noth- 
ing should be printed for, nor against the question 
without special permission. Very soon thereafter, 
through Menzer' s influence, Kriegsmann was re- 
moved from his position, but was at once taken 
into the Court of the Elector of the Palatinate. 

Besides this, Menzer did not cease to excite the 
principal residents of Frankfort against Spener, 
using his pen for the spreading of various slander- 
ous reports and warning against the perils threat- 
ening the Church. This caused Spener no little 
embarrassment. He felt called upon to publish 
a clear and full exposition of that one of his 
propositions which he had considered the most 
important, and which had excited the most oppo- 
sition to him. 

This he did in the pamphlet, ^' The Spiritual 
Priesthood briefly described through God's 
Word. ' ' This was of a highly popular character, 
in the form of questions and answers, supported 
by many Bible references. In this he showed 
that the spiritual priesthood with which all Chris- 
tians are endowed consists in the threefold office 
of sacrifice, prayer, and the use of God's AVord. 
He said that the Christian should sacrifice him- 
self and all that he possessed; that he was bought 
and redeemed, bod}^ and soul, his worldly goods, 
his desires and passions, yes, when it became 
necessary, his life; that he must pray always for 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 43 

his fellow-beings, and that, finally, he must exer- 
cise the office of the Word. This may not con- 
sist in a special call to preach; but in the use of 
the Holy Scriptures for the edification and com- 
fort of one's self and friends, for the proof of 
preaching and their own relief lest they put too 
great faith in the words of men, taking care to 
avoid anything that would cause disorder in the 
Church. In considering the sacraments, he con- 
fessed to faith in their administration by any 
Christian, especially the rite of baptism, in cases 
of necessity. But as to the Lord's Supper, while 
he counseled that no one should serve himself, 
yet, one might be allowed to do so who was in the 
spiritual enjoyment of faith, and desirous of its 
comfort, in the absence of a preacher. 

He closed the whole argument on the universal 
priesthood with an array of authorities taken 
from the church fathers and also from more 
modern writers, but especially supported by ex- 
tracts from Luther. 

This little work made a favorable impression 
and helped greatly to weaken the effect of the evil 
reports that had been circulated. It was much 
praised, and was of a character which admitted of 
no criticism. 

But a young theologian, Dr. Hanneken, of 
Giessen, a nephew of Menzer, and instigated by 
him, brought out a tract on the ''Necessity of 
Doctrine," which was so full of false and malicious 
references to Spener, that he felt called upon to 
reply. But Hanneken was questioned by friends 
of Spener in Giessen, and declared that he had not 
aimed these references at him, and thus the con- 
troversy was suppressed. But the magistrates of 
Frankfort were disturbed by all these movements, 
and at the instance of Menzer seemed readv to 



44 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

pass such ordinances as were already in force at 
Darmstadt. 

A young woman of noble family, who had been 
influenced by Spener to a life of pious works and 
private teaching of the Bible, was commanded to 
leave the city, as was also a like-minded and 
equally active young man. But both were known 
by Spener to be innocent of wrong; he therefore 
required them to appear before the magistrates to 
enter protest against this unrighteous treatment, 
and as a result of this appearance the order was 
not enforced. 

Printers and book-sellers were, also, com- 
manded to print nothing of a religious or edify- 
ing character without special examination. When, 
therefore, in 1678, a second edition of the ''Spirit- 
ual Priesthood" was required, its issue was pre- 
vented by the Council, who finally decided to 
submit the book to one of the universities for 
examination. This was opposed by the entire 
Ministerium, to which Spener had submitted the 
book before its first appearance in print, and by 
whom it had been approved. 

The Ministerium took up the affair as its own, 
and complained before the Council of the infringe- 
ment of its authority. But they received no 
comfort at the hands of the Council. The pub- 
lisher, however, was able to obtain the desired 
permission from the Elector of Saxony, and the 
circulation of the book was no longer hindered. 

There lived in Frankfort at this time, a candi- 
date for the ministry named Franke, the son of a 
Frankfort senator. This young man made it his 
business to stir up sentiment against Spener, not 
only by the circulation of slanderous reports in 
Frankfort, but by libelous letters addressed to 
such theologians as were already inclined to 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 45 

oppose him. This abuse was doubtless due to 
the fact that the young man was not free from 
suspicions of immorahty, and had been severely 
reproved by the Ministerium on account of im- 
proper preaching, for unministerial conduct, and 
for his unjust and extreme opinions of the min- 
isters of the cit}^, to which he had given free 
expression. 

Although he was despised by the better class of 
citizens, he succeeded, through dishonest man- 
agement, in obtaining from the city Council the 
reversion of the next vacancy in the ministry of 
the city. This vacancy occurred soon thereafter. 
But Spener and his colleagues protested so earn- 
estly against his appointment that it was finally 
prevented. Thus a danger for Spener was turned 
aside, and when Menzer, who had never ceased 
to persecute Spener, died in 1679, the calumnies 
and slanders with which Spener had been bur- 
dened, gradually died away, and during the 
remainder of his stay in Frankfort he had peace 
and quiet, at least in his immediate surroundings 
and concerning his own work. 

But to what extent Spener suffered under the 
difficulties attending his work, is shown in the 
letters written by him at this time, in Avhich he 
frequently expressed himself concerning them. 
In a letter addressed to a celebrated theologian, 
with whom he held correspondence, he says, that 
during the twenty-seven years in which he had 
exercised his calling, he had found no more 
poisonous people and none who opposed more 
strenuously true and active Christianity than those 
of his own order and calling. Yet he was able to 
conduct himself throughout with Christian wis- 
dom and to look upon it as a salutary experience 
permitted by God for his own testing. In rela- 



46 SPEXER AXD HIS WORK. 

tion to it he saj^s in one of his German treatises: 
'' I need not say that it is a joy and honor before 
the Lord to suffer something for the sake of the 
truth, for which I feel myself unworthy. ' And T 
must say that I have found in it this use: that 
the Lord is able thereby to hold me, and also 
others, in deeper humility and in many respects 
to bring us to greater prudence. 

''We know that with us men, when we have 
decided to do a good thing and see the oppor- 
tunity before us, we sometimes, with the best in- 
tention, act with imprudence or venture less care- 
fully than the situation demands. AVe think 
that since the cause is good, no evil can come of 
it; but this often happens, and the good cause is 
injured. So the Lord teaches us through diffi- 
culties to act with great certainty and observation, 
and to fear for a good cause. The bad will not 
trouble themselves to molest the bad, but rather 
the true and honest. 

''Then we also know that an unhindered suc- 
cess pleases the old Adam in us and very readily 
and involuntarily awakes in us a dangerous 
pride. ' ' 

Spener says much more in the same spirit, al- 
ways waiting with patience and prayer the time 
when the Lord shall again bring his righteous 
cause to the light. In another place he says: 
"Next to God's glory my great object is that 
God shall save my soul and those whom he has 
entrusted to me. I exercise my office with fear 
and trembling, and startle before the judgment, 
which appears more and more dreadful as the 
more is entrusted to us. As I now think how 
near I may be to such judgment, nearer than I or 
any other may think, I see that I have no reason 
to feel certain; but on all sides to watch if I have 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 47 

not neglected something which I may hereafter 
have no opportunity to do. I do not deny that 
often I know not how to quiet my conscience, and 
cannot seek counsel enough, since there seenis 
danger to my soul on every side. I consider 
happy and blessed, those who in other positions 
find salvation easier and attended with less danger 
and anxiety. If it were a matter of free will to 
live in some other office, such cares would have 
moved me to flee with Jonah to the sea rather 
than to attempt to fill this dangerous position. It 
is alone God's call, and my obedience to God's 
will, which binds me to my duty and consoles me 
in its exercise. ' ' 

Spener needed such consolation, not only be- 
cause of his own affairs, but also because of the 
circumstances of one of his near and dear rela- 
tives. His brother-in-law, Horbius, Ministerial 
Inspector of the shire of Spanheim, Trarbach, 
had in the first years of his office been active 
against the Romanists and Reformed, and also 
against many of the abuses of the Lutheran 
Church. Because of this he had incurred the 
displeasure of some of his hearers, and especially 
of the princely councils. He was greatly im- 
pressed by Spener' s ''Pious Desires,'' and not 
only wrote the Supplement to it, but sought to 
carry out its propositions. It came about that 
while on a visit to the Schawlbach Baths, he met 
with a company of pious persons who were prob- 
ably from Frankfort. These people held a meet- 
ing of the character of those instituted by Spener, 
for Bible study and prayer. Among these godly 
persons he experienced an entire change of mind. 
He felt the impotence of his former efforts, and 
how he, like many other pastors, was in fault that 
his hearers were so little affected by his work. 



48 SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 

He realized that the implanting of a living Chris- 
tianity must be begun in quite another manner. 

On his return home, he came among hispeople 
in a changed frame of mind. He was full of 
anxiety for a more rapid advancement of the 
kingdom of Christ. He, therefore, seized an 
early opportunity to talk of the nature of true 
Christian belief and obedience, striving against 
the prevailing feeling of carnal security among 
his hearers. He showed them that all trust in 
God's grace, in Christ's merits, and the sacra- 
ments, were useless, when the Hving faith was 
lacking. In this manner he stung the souls of 
his hearers until many became embittered. But 
others aroused from their worldliness came to him 
of their own will, asking to be taught further in 
the true way of safety and salvation. Many sent 
their children to him, and he held evening Bible 
classes with them, and was thus able to shape 
their young minds. 

But this good work was very soon disturbed by 
the influence of one of the deacons, Arnold by 
name. This man had already had difficulty with 
his earlier Inspectors, and was now greath^ offended 
that Horbius was in possession of an office which 
he, himself, had hoped to fill. He did not cease 
in his efforts to excite the disaffected portion of 
Horbius' congregation against him, and finally 
complained of him before the Consistorium. He 
charged him with dangerous novelties and false 
teaching. Under the last head, he reckoned the 
use of such words as '^ Tranquillity," '^ Deaden- 
ing," and ^^ Abnegation," which Horbius used in 
his preaching. The Consistorium dismissed the 
complaint as groundless; but the deacon turned 
to the princely government. This Council, which 
was already unfavorable to Horbius, without 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 49 

fault of his own, cited him to appear and answer 
these charges. Although they could not find him 
guilty of any departure from the pure doctrine, 
and only found at the most, that he had been too 
impetuous and not altogether prudent, he was 
given the choice of being deposed or of resigning 
from his office. As he hesitated about his resig- 
nation, his dismissal was effected. For a time he 
went to Frankfort and remained with Spener, who 
was again brought into suspicion for this cause. 
But later, Horbius was called as superintendent 
of the Frankish capital of Windesheim, and here 
he became a most impressive preacher. Through 
catechisation, Bible-teaching and his excellent 
pastoral work, as well as his earnest preaching, 
he so won the love of the City Council and the 
citizens, that new complaints instigated by his 
old enemy, Arnold, and joined in by his col- 
leagues, were of no avail against him. 

This affair of his brother-in-law was an intima- 
tion to Spener of the difficulties which awaited 
him. He possessed a mind of excellent balance, 
moderation and justice, and readily gave due 
credit to pure doctrine, even when mixed with 
error in the w^orks of others. He did not con- 
demn a man in all things when he was only 
mistaken in a few things. He exercised this dis- 
crimination toward various men with whom he 
widely disagreed and condemned in many points, 
but whom he found helpful and profitable in 
others. He also recommended the use of such 
books as The Imitation of Christ and Arndt's 
True Christianity. These things brought him 
anew into reproach among his people. He was 
called Mystic, Quaker and Labadist, and tor- 
mented again and again with complaints and 
suspicions. ''Thanks be to God," he says at 



50 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

this time, ^'who has permitted us to know the 
truth, that we dare not rest on the authority of 
one, nor of many men; but only on our Saviour, 
Jesus Christ, who is the truth itself, and who 
through his word reveals himself, in the hearts of 
his own, that they may not make the conscience 
subject to other men; but rest upon a sure founda- 
tion, in that freedom wherewith the Son makes 
free. ' ' 

Spener and Horbius were drawn into public 
controversy in the year 1679, which continued 
until the death of two of their antagonists, some 
five years after its beginning. Dilfeld, one of 
the chief of these, acknowledged that he liad, 
during this controversy, learned more practical 
theology than all the schools had been able to 
teach him. He thanked God for it; but he was 
never wilhng to acknowledge his error against 
Spener. This controversy was concerning the 
new birth or the new creature in Christ, which 
Spener claimed was one of the scri])tural doctrines 
of Luther. It was the subject of several books 
wliich appeared from the hands of Spener and 
Dilfeld during the continuance of this controversy. 

The difficulties growing out of Spener' s efforts 
for the reform of church life, called his attention 
to the defects in the constitution of the Lutheran 
Church. He was now satisfied that if the Evan- 
gelical Church had its organization more strongly 
grounded on God's word, it would not be sub- 
jected to so much controversy, so many divisions 
and schisms, and that the heahng of her wounds 
would be an easier task, since her inner life would 
be much stronger. He had found the church 
government in Strasburg much better than in 
Frankfort, especially in the matter of choosing 
pastors, and knew well the advantage of it. The 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 51 

Frankfort Ministerium finally authorized a treatise 
to be published on this subject, and it was accord- 
ingly prepared by Spener. This treatise was 
based upon the idea that the entire Christian 
Church and each congregation was the household 
of Christ. To these he had entrusted his treasures : 
Word, Sacrament and the Keys. But, in order 
that no confusion might result, these were to be 
given over by the congregation to the pastoral 
office for administration. 

To this office the congregation should render 
obedience, providing the minister respected their 
rights, and should administer his office, especially 
the power of the Keys, after the Scriptural man- 
ner, and remain subordinate to the judgment of 
the entire Church. If there should be differences 
over the administration of this office, he mentions 
two methods of settlement; either by a vote of 
a majority of the congregation, or by the action 
of a Council or Consistorium elected by the con- 
gregation. He then goes on in part to recom- 
mend the establishment of the Episcopate, as a 
method of government; but finds in it a serious 
difficulty. The Episcopal office is filled by ap- 
pointment; the appointment is made by minis- 
ters, theologians and governors. Thus the voice 
of the congregation is lost; the common people 
are shorn of responsibility, and hence, finally, of 
interest. These people, he says, while not so 
learned, have often a good Christian confession 
and a godly mind, which, in the things to be de- 
cided, are often more to be valued than great 
learning. Spener above all things maintained 
that the common people should have part in the 
decisions of the Church and the preservation of 
its order. 

Spener saw with great sorrow the Church torn 



52 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

by that passionate S3^ncretistic controversy which 
had its stronghold at Konigsberg, and raged long 
and bitterly among the chief universities. ^ Then, 
again, a polemical Avar arose between Wittenberg 
and Jena. 

Spener had taken great care not to be drawn 
into recent controversies; but in this latter, he was 
not permitted to keep silent, but was required to 
present various treatises on the church doctrines 
in behalf of the Ministerium. 

In these required treatises we find many inter- 
esting expressions of his doctrine. Indeed much 
of the responsibility of maintaining pure doctrine 
in the Church rested upon Spener in these troubled 
times. 

He expresses himself as entirely convinced of 
the purity and truth of the doctrine exhibited in 
the symbols of the Lutheran church, which in all 
disputed points he unconditionally preferred to 
the doctrinal confession of any other Christian 
party. He, however, reserved to himself a free- 
dom of judgment quite unusual for the time. He 
looked upon the symbolical books as the writings 
of men, which must be subordinated to the Holy 
Scripture, and never looked upon as the founda- 
tion and rule of faith. He attributed no infalli- 
bility to them, and did not look upon them as a 
perfect system of Theology, which cut off all 
further scientific development of doctrine. 

Although he was convinced of the general truth 
of their contents, he wished that the freedom 
might always be maintained to test them by the 
Word of God. He laid upon them no absolute 
value for the Church, but a relative and historical 
one, and declared that one might discard them 
without heresy, excepting as to those points im- 
mediately sustained by Holy Scripture. 



SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 53 

He considered theni especially useful as a pub- 
lic witness to the doctrines of the Church before 
friend and foe, as the norm of decision in internal 
theological controversy, and as a basis of doctrine 
for those who received them because of their 
agreement with the Word of God. 

Spener exhibited a like freedom in his judg- 
ment of Luther, whose greatness in the Evan- 
gelical Church had always been like a fetter on 
the minds of men. 

The deep honor which he felt for this chosen 
instrument of God, did not prevent him from 
remembering that Luther, also, was a man, and 
had sometimes erred, although he valued Luther's 
writings next to the Bible. 

He says that during his studies under Dann- 
hauer he was urged by him to the study of 
Luther's writings, and in company with others 
prepared from them a commentary on the entire 
Bible. This gave him a very exact knowledge of 
all the works of the great reformer. Said he: 
^'Itis true that Christ and Paul lighted Luther 
through all places, and the articles of belief and 
their fruits have hardly been so impressively 
treated since the time of the Apostles, as they 
were by him. And were such writings more in- 
dustriously read, there would be a better founda- 
tion laid in many of our universities than is now 
made to serve the purpose. Yet I require as 
little as Luther himself ^Y0uld have done that his 
writings be apotheosized; for while I find in them 
a glorious spiritual power, I find in them also the 
man, especially where he writes of the prophets. ' ' 
In another place he speaks of Luther's translation 
of the Bible as an inimitable work in which, 
however, he (Luther) has not always found the 
exact sense, and adds: ^'A giant remains great 



54 SPEXER AND HIS WORK. 

and a dwarf small, and ther^ is no comparison to 
be made between them; but if the dwarf stands 
upon the shoulders of the giant, he sees yet 
further than the giant, since this great stature 
lifts him above himself. 

^^ Therefore, it is no wonder that, often, a dwarf, 
who is far enough from being a great teacher like 
Luther, finds something in the Scripture which 
Luther had not found, after having the advantage 
of all of Luther's learning, without which he 
could not have found it. Luther remains the 
general teacher, but occasionally the scholar dis- 
covers something here and there which the pre- 
ceptor did not. It is not, then, pure temerity 
when one dissents from Luther's translations, or 
other writings, and shows where they can be 
bettered; neither is it to his reproach, that accord- 
ing to God's ordering, the Spirit of the prophets 
should have other subjects." 

Spener did not hesitate to show occasionally in 
his preaching, where the original Scripture gave 
the text a more exact meaning, and above all to 
denounce the delusion that one already had salva- 
tion, when he only possessed the true, pure doc- 
trine of Luther. He also deplored the violence 
of some of Luther's polemical writings, believing 
them to be moved by the carnal mind, which 
sometimes hindered the course of the Church. 
But all this he excused, because of the dangers 
and hardships of the time, and found a special, 
providential wisdom, in the association of the 
powerful reformer with the learned and more 
moderate Melanchthon. ^^True," he says, ^'one 
cannot be satisfied with Melanchthon' s later theo- 
logical tendency; but his distinguished services in 
behalf of the Lutheran Church and her theology 
must ever be held in thankful remembrance. ^ ' 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 55 

Declaring at all times the freedom of judgment 
and of love as against the prejudices of the time, 
Spener treated the followers of other confessions 
with a gentleness unusual for the period. He 
held with unshaken confidence to the declaration 
that the Lutheran Church was unequaled by any 
other in purity of doctrine and fidelity to the 
faith. Yet he was far from believing, with the 
narrowness of the time, that outside of the Luth- 
eran Church no one could be saved. ''Jesus 
Christ,'' said he, ''must be a poor King, when 
the only subjects of his kingdom of grace are 
those within the narrow limits of the Lutheran 
Church. His government is over all the world 
and among many dispersions, wherever he is 
able to discover his own. He has surely among 
other denominations sown the good seed; and 
even though they should fail in the letter of the 
Confession, yet by divine light they are able to 
conceive the divine essentials upon which salva- 
tion rests. ' ' 

It deserves to be remarked that the great mild- 
ness which Spener observed toward other denom- 
inations was the result of many experiences after 
the course of years. 

In the first years of his experience in Frankfort 
he had violently opposed the Reformed Church, 
had preached against their proselyting and warned 
against their doctrines. His assistance had al- 
ready been sought in an effort to unite these two 
great divisions of the Church in Germany^ the 
Lutheran and Reformed; but Spener refused to 
join in any consideration of the matter. How 
greatly his feelings changed toward the Reformed 
branch of the Protestant Church, was shown 
when, in 1685, the revocation of the edict of 
Nantes concerning the Huguenots in France was 



56 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

followed by its awful results. No day passed 
that he did not think of them with earnest sym- 
pathy and prayer. He looked upon tliem as 
martyrs to the general cause of Protestantism, 
and admonished the people to observe public 
prayers in their behalf in the Lutheran churches. 
He advised that influence be used for them with 
the government, and that fugitives be kindly re- 
ceived. In these circumstances he realized the 
danger awaiting all Protestants at the hands of 
Rome, and felt that a union of the Protestant 
divisions might be beneficial. This appeared to 
him difiicult; the more so as the disposition of 
the churches had been embittered tosvard one 
another by controversy. He believed that the 
first step must be to distinguish between the 
essential and unessential in doctrine, in order to 
quiet controversy, and that in unimportant mat- 
ters an entire amnesty must prevail. He be- 
lieved, however, that this union could not take 
place in Germany, but thought that it must begin 
with Sweden, Denmark and England. Contrary 
to his expectations, however, this union was 
effected in the first quarter of the present century, 
in Prussia, where Spener spent his last days. 

Toward the close of his work in Frankfort, 
Spener' s pen was again engaged in a defense of 
Lutheran doctrine, against the encroachments of 
Rome and the ever-threatening possibility of 
Protestant and Catholic union. To this end he 
brought out two more books, which were written 
under pressure of hard work and illness. But 
with all, he was able so profitably to employ 
every minute that he still had some time to de- 
vote to his favorite study, history. Through his 
wide historical knowledge he was interested in 
heraldry and was the founder of the heraldry of 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 57 

Germany. He published two very valuable works 
on this subject, which were noted as exhibiting 
unusual industry, broad reading and diverse his- 
torical knowledge. 

Spener had spent twenty years in Frankfort. 
They had been years of hard and difficult work; 
but they had been richly blessed with good re- 
sults; for he was now looked upon as a bright 
light in the Evangelical Church. 

The Elector of Saxony, John George, the Third, 
on a journey to his army on the Rhine, made a 
short stay in Frankfort. While there, he heard 
Spener preach, and was pleased with him per- 
sonally and as a preacher. 

The Saxon Court preacher. Dr. Lucius, was 
old and feeble, and in May, 1684, the Elector, 
through Baron Seckendorf, who was Spener' s 
friend, caused the latter to be called to Dresden as 
court preacher, confessor, Church Councilor and 
member of the Chief Consistorial Council. 

This position was at that time the first in the 
entire Evangelical Church. Saxony had been the 
cradle of the Reformation, and the Elector was 
looked upon as the most distinguished and power- 
ful of all the Protestant princes. The office was 
one which exerted the most important influence 
on the religious condition of the greatest of the 
German provinces, and brought its occupant in 
touch with the most celebrated and learned theo- 
logians of the chief universities. 

These facts caused Spener to hesitate about his 
acceptance. He did not believe that he possessed 
the gifts necessary for such a position. He also 
felt that the methods which he had heretofore 
successfully used and which he felt called upon 
to continue, would not be of value there. He 
felt, further, that his popular sermonizing, so 



58 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

helpful to the masses, would not be suited to a 
Court congregation. He was, moreover, deeply 
attached to his Frankfort congregation and the 
people of the city, and every effort was used by 
his friends here for his detention. While he 
hesitated, he was seized with a dangerous illness, 
which continued for seven months. When finally 
he recovered, Dr. Lucius died, and again Spener 
was called to the Dresden office. 

Still he did not trust himself to accept the call; 
but placed the matter in the hands of the magis- 
trates at Frankfort, with elaborate arguments for 
and against his acceptance. But the magistrates 
refused to decide, and again Spener sought as- 
sistance by seeking counsel of five theologians, 
unknown to each other. These decided unani- 
mously that the call was divine, and Spener 
communicated his acceptance to the Elector in a 
letter which touchingly expresses his anxious 
and prayerful obedience to the divine call. 



CHAPTER lY. 

SPENER AS COURT-PREACHER AT DRESDEN CONDI- 
TION OF THE SAXON CHURCH HIS PRACTICAL 

ACTIVITY. 

On the eleventh of July, 1686, Spener entered 
upon the duties of his new position with courage, 
and cheerfulness. His first sermon was preached 
in the court chapel, from Matthew^ v. 20-26, in 
W'hich, after greeting all those present, the Elec- 
toral family, the assembled statesmen, his new 
colleagues, the city of Dresden, and the entire 
land, he treated of the false pharisaical and the 
true Christian righteousness with relation to the 
pastoral office. In closing he reminded his 
hearers with noble frankness what his duties 
would be as a servant of Christ and a keeper of 
God's mysteries. This and the next sermon fol- 
lowing, from the novelty of their treatment, their 
earnestness and practical tendencj"-, produced 
considerable excitement. 

Many felt themselves injured by the truth 
without being able to reply. Even the Elector 
confessed that he had not desired his heart to be 
so moved. 

Spener realized with thanksgiving that a divine 
blessing rested upon his work. But he soon had 
occasion to feel some of the diflB cutties of his new 
position. The uncertain ground of a court w^as 
not the place where a man of such earnestness, 
candor and Christian zeal would find himself 

(59) 



60 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

most comfortable. He entered upon his work 
with great prudence, seeking the assistance and 
approval of his colleagues in every good work 
that he projected. But from the beginning he 
was received with jealousy by the other ministers 
of Dresden, who had in preparation for him many 
a bitter hour. 

Despite his kindly attitude toward his col- 
leagues, he could not win their good will or as- 
sistance. It was not long until they complained 
of him before the Consistorium, and charged him 
with saying in a sermon that heretofore the doc- 
, trine of justification had not been correctly 
preached in Dresden. 

In regard to this Spener says: ^'I have not 
found the world here different from elsewhere, 
only that the wickedness differs in some respects, 
and I can hardly say whether it is bolder or more 
subtle. But the Court-devil here is like that of 
other courts, with the claws perhaps a little more 
concealed. The same spirit rules the children of 
unbelief in Dresden that ruled them in Frank- 
fort. The same spirit under another form.' ^ 

Because of these difficulties, Spener took occa- 
sion to treat in his sermons many of the more 
important Christian doctrines, with strenuous 
earnestness, from the standpoint of orthodox 
Lutheranism, and to present these as the basis of 
his future work. This he did to fortify himself 
against any suspicion of heterodoxy, and because, 
as he expressed it: '' The prospect of Christianity 
in Saxony was a gloomy one. " ' ' No where, ' ' 
says he, ''has the stiff orthodoxy, the scholastic 
treatment of dogmatics, the passionate polemics, 
the unfruitful method of preaching, struck such 
deep roots as here. ' ' 

This condition of things w^as nourished and 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 61 

nursed by both of the Saxon Universities. Wit- 
tenberg was now dechning, but Leipzig was rising 
in importance. In both universities, dogmatics, 
polemics and philosophy, were the chief and im- 
portant studies, and a galaxy of notable men 
gave them entire attention; but the teaching of 
Biblical exegesis was abandoned. Many of the 
most distinguished of the professors of these uni- 
versities had openly approved and praised 
Spener's labors in the Church in their writings 
and otherwise. Among these were Carpzov, 
Mayer, Peiffer, Alberti and Olearius. They had 
gone so far as to characterize him as a man of 
highest value to the Church. On his removal to 
Dresden, Wittenberg had sent him a most flatter- 
ing Latin poem, and the theological faculty of 
Leipzig had tendered him warm congratulations. 
But behind these expressions was hidden secret 
ill-will. While yet in Frankfort, Spener had 
been warned against Carpzov, of Leipzig, and his 
brother, who was a member of the Consistory in 
Dresden. 

Although up to this time his relations with 
both of these men had been the most pleasant, it 
became evident that jealousy of Spener's position 
caused great disaffection toward him. These cir- 
cumstances w^ere all the more trying to Spener, 
since the improvement of these universities was 
not only his earnest wish, but now belonged to 
the duties of his office. 

He says at this time: ''I see about me the 
great powder of Satan and his established king- 
dom, and many difficulties which are beyond the 
hope and help of men to overcome. But against 
them all I set the might of God, which nothing 
can withstand, and at whose call I am here, the 
same that hath sent me. He is faithful, and will 



62 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

not leave my poor but obedient efforts without 
fruit or blessing. I rest upon this, and hope 
where there seems nothing to hope for, waiting 
with patience for such blessing as God' gives." 
Time and place and measure of results he did not 
question; but sought only the will of God with 
patient service. 

His chief concern Avas to bring the ministry to 
greater purity and spirituality, and the schools to 
the study of the Bible and the exercise of piety 
in the place of scholastic hair-splitting. He be- 
lieved that God would reveal widening opportun- 
ities for good works to those who waited upon 
His will. 

In this Spener was not disappointed. The 
preaching of the Word, his pastoral activity, the 
examination of candidates, and the work of the 
Consistory, were not without fruits. A special 
blessing seemed to rest upon that work which had 
proved of such value in his pastoral experience. 
This was the teaching of the Catechism. In his 
present office he was not under obligations to pur- 
sue this; but after an expression of his willing- 
ness to do so, the children of the Elector and a 
few friends were sent to his house for instruction. 
The attendance was free to everybody, and soon 
became so great that the class was removed to one 
of the chapels of the palace. This large attend- 
ance was made up of children and adults of both 
sexes, and was a rich opportunity for the exercise 
of Spener' s peculiar teaching gift, and was the 
more eagerly improved as he hoped that other 
pastors throughout the land would follow his ex- 
ample. 

In a sermon preached before the Saxon Diet, 
he referred, among other things, to the great 
value of catechetical instruction, and many of the 



SPBNER AND HIS WORK. 63 

nobility were induced by this reference to attend 
the examination of his class. They were much 
pleased with the manner in which it was con- 
ducted, and not long afterward, a law was passed 
requiring catechisation in all the churches in 
Saxony. 

Spener regretted that a law to this effect was 
necessary. It would have been much more en- 
couraging had such instruction been entirely 
voluntary; but the disposition of only too many 
of the pastors was such that they felt it quite be- 
neath them to concern themselves with such 
^'child's play," as they expressed it. There 
were even those among the clergy who com- 
plained that instead of the court preacher which 
he sought, the Elector had got a school-master. 

But Spener despised this mocking, and in the 
end, saw a rich harvest from his persevering 
work, and the whole Evangelical Church has 
him to thank for the now general custom of 
teaching candidates for confirmation and for cate- 
chetical examinations. 

Spener was also the first to practically divorce 
theology from the Latin language, and bring into 
use the German. In the exercise of his office he 
insisted on holding the examinations of all candi- 
dates for the ministry in the German language. 
He took no notice of the abuse which was heaped 
upon him for this. He said he was not so much 
concerned as to how well a candidate expressed 
himself in the Latin language, but that he was 
seriously concerned as to how deeply he was 
grounded in the Christian Confession, and how 
well he was prepared to speak of spiritual things. 
He found that he was much better able to dis- 
cover these essential qualifications when a man 
expressed himself in his mother tongue, and did 



64 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

not occupy himself with the use of a strange 
language. 

But the most important part of Spener's work 
in Dresden, as in Frankfort, was his preaching. 
It was intelligently directed toward the teaching 
of essentia] doctrines and the spiritual upbuilding 
of his people through the unfolding of scriptural 
truth. His sermons were shorn of all that was 
merely rhetorical and ethical or controversial. 
They had, also, a popular character and a practical 
tendency. Such preaching soon excited attention, 
then applause and admiration, and his sermons 
were solicited for printing. From the year 1688 
he published three annual courses of sermons: 
^' The Evangelical Doctrines," " The Evangelical 
Duties" and "The Evangelical Consolations." 
These sermons were plain, solid, and full of 
Christian warmth. 

In his private lectures Spener m.ade use of the 
Bible in the original languages, as he was not en- 
tirely satisfied with the various commeiitaries. 
In his exegesis he adopted the best methods of 
several of the most learned commentators of the 
time, and strove to avoid the extremes of allegory 
on the one hand, and scholastic literalness on the 
other. 

While yet in Frankfort, at one of the house- 
meetings held there, Spener had been asked how 
one should know the new creature in Christ, and 
how discover if such a work w^ere of na«ture or of 
grace. Some w^ere anxious to know how they 
should be able to know that they w^ere living in a 
condition of grace. His argument of this ques- 
tion, in its essential points, with its scriptural 
proofs, w^as written down by a divinity student 
w^ho was present. In 1687 this argument ap- 
peared in Saxony in print, under the title of 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 65 

^^ Nature and Grace." With this he had hoped 
to begin that awakening of the Saxon clergy to 
better things, which was one of the chief objects 
always in view in his present office. 

He had already discovered that the corruption 
of the Saxon Church was due to three chief 
causes: 1st. The entire exclusion of the common 
people from any part in the church government 
and congregational hfe. 2d. The small number 
of preachers, nearly all of whom had charge of 
numerous congregations; and 3d. The negligence 
and indifference of these preachers. 

The two first of these causes could only be re- 
moved by the government; and that this should 
occur seemed very doubtful. This made it the 
more necessary to work through the servants of 
the Word, to fill them with a new spirit, and 
through them to bring a new stream of life into 
the distracted Church. 

Especially were there three things from which 
he expected help: the edifying proclamation of 
God's word; the judicious teaching of the Cate- 
chism, and the worthy conduct of the spiritual 
office in connection with earnest pastoral service. 

From years of experience he had learned that 
the first essential of a spiritual sermon w^as the 
exposition of the Scripture text. Every sermon, 
he declared, must be directed toward a single 
object of edification; that it must appeal in part 
to the intellect, and partly to the wills of the 
hearers. He believed that this would occur w^hen 
the text should be the most exactly explained, 
and the truth contained in it applied as teaching, 
warning and consolation. 

He presented as the norm of the spiritual ser- 
mon, that it must follow the text, and that no 
new matter must be introduced, the more es- 
5 



66 SPE]S[ER AND HIS WOEK. 

pecially as such treasures were always to be found 
in it. This rule, he thought, admitted of but 
one exception: When a preacher was limited to a 
fixed text, and this text did not contain the mat- 
ter which he found it necessary to use, he believed 
that love should prevail over all art and every 
rule, and that for the sake of edification the text 
3-nd the sermon might be forced to the purpose. 
In the case of a free choice of texts, he believed 
that the natural method must always be followed. 
He expressed a preference for evangelical teaching 
being made the chief thing; that of redemption, 
justification and sanctification. He declared him- 
self positively against the continual preaching of 
the law which was then practiced because of the 
corrupt times. He recognized its value in awak- 
ening sinners to repentance; but beheved that 
every preacher was above all called to announce 
the gospel of salvation, which brought the spirit 
of faith, through which was wrought the sanctifi- 
cation of life. He declared that he who preached 
the Gospel with prudence and power, would see 
from it more fruit among the unrepentant and 
godless than from all the thunders of the law. 
He reproached the mere preaching of morality as 
useless, since it was separated from faith, the cen- 
tral principle of Christian life. He finally warned 
against introducing controversy into the pulpit, 
and strove to lead the preaching back to apostolic 
simplicity. He carefully, and in detail, instructs 
the preacher in the preparation of sermons, the 
proper use of the Catechism, and the administra- 
tion of the sacraments, that they might all be the 
means of bringing the Church to a better condi- 
tion. 

Spener sought further to improve the condition 
of the Church by carrying on theological corres- 



SPENEE AND HIS WORK. 67 

pondence with various persons in Saxony, and 
finally included in it the whole of Germany. 

For some years he had been looked upon as the 
chief spiritual and theological counselor for all 
Germany, and when he entered upon the duties 
of his office in Dresden, it became necessary for 
the Elector to procure frankage for letters received 
and sent by him. At one time, he assured a 
friend, that during one year he had carefully an- 
swered six hundred and twenty-two letters, and 
that three hundred remained unanswered. 



CHAPTER V. 

PIETISTIC CONTROVERSIES — SPENER's DIFFICULTY 
WITH THE ELECTOR HIS CALL TO BERLIN. 

During Spener's residence in Dresden, the 
Pietistic Movement brought on that controversy 
which disturbed all his after life, and which long 
after his death distracted the Lutheran Church. 
Influenced by the general movement which was 
the result of Spener's work in Frankfort, three 
young men of Leipzig founded a society for the 
closer study of the Bible in the original. 

These men were Augustus Hermann Francke, 
Paul Anton, and John Caspar Schade. 

The two former were private lecturers on theol- 
ogy in the Leipzig University. These three were 
Joined by other professors, who were eminent for 
tlieir piety and learning. 

Francke made a visit to Spener in Dresden and 
returned filled with zeal for the promotion of true 
religious life among the people. But soon false 
reports were circulated concerning him, charges 
against him were sent to Dresden and every effort 
was made to suppress the pietistic movement in 
the university. For the time being these efforts 
were successful, and the prime movers in the 
direction of aggressive Christianity were forced to 
leave the city. 

The downfall of this movement in Leipzig, in 

which Spener had hoped much for the church, 

caused him no little disappointment; but he was 

engaged in another matter which in part with- 

(68) 



SPENEE AND HIS WORK. 69 

drew his attention from it. This was a contro- 
versy over an extremely strenuous form of 
confessional subscription adopted by the Ham- 
burg Ministerium, and especially directed toward 
Spener and his friends. It was calculated to cast 
reproach upon them and debar them from all 
fellowship with others in the Lutheran Church. 
In many places this form was severely con- 
demned; but the theologians of Kiel, AVittenberg, 
Liibeck and Greifswald, treated it with favor when 
their opinions were required. Spener was then 
appealed to, and also the three General Superin- 
tendents: Fischer of Riga, Alard of Oldenberg, 
and Meyer of Wolfenblittel. These men also 
published treatises upon it, and this created a 
most unhappy division in the enthe Church. 
Spener was accused in jDublic tracts of being the 
patron of all errors, as the founder of the hated 
house-gatherings (for prayer and Bible study) 
and the proper cause of the Hamburg disturb- 
ance. As a defence against these reproaches he 
prepared an excellent little work entitled: ^'The 
Freedom of Believers from the views of men in 
matters of Faith." In this he nobly defended 
the freedom of the Church, and made it the occa- 
sion of a free expression of his theological opin- 
ions. He condemned the attempt made by the 
Hamburg Ministerium to bind the entire Church 
by this strenuous form of subscription, and thus 
cause the division of congregations. He again 
more decidedly set forth the doctrine of the spir- 
itual priesthood, the pastoral ofhce, the supremacy 
of God's Word, and the right of its interpretation. 
He denied the right of the universities to bind 
men's consciences by their opinions; but held 
them valuable in matters of counsel, in so far as 
their faculties were learned sincere and spiritual. 



70 SPENEE a:s'd his work. 

He claimed the right of freedom and adaptation 
in the use of orders of worship, and praised the 
Augsburg Confession and the authors of the Form 
of Concord for their wisdom in leaving these un- 
essential matters free; especially as it had proved 
so salutary, in the course of the Church's history, 
that in almost all of the larger cities the various 
churches differed from each other in the use of 
these things. 

Much was written on both sides of the question; 
Spener's decided inclination to Chiliasm was 
discussed, being incidentally related to the atti- 
tude of the Hamburg Ministerium toward the 
Chiliastic writings of Jacob Bohme. But finally 
a short-lived amnesty was obtained through a 
compromise, and controversy was for the time 
suppressed. 

In the meantime, Spener was laboring under 
another difficulty that caused him yet more 
anxiety and embarrassment. Following the ex- 
ample of his predecessors in office, Spener took 
occasion, on a fast day in February, 1689, to ad- 
monish the Elector concerning his disposition 
and life. He did this, urged to action by his 
conscience, in the character of confessor to the 
prince, by letter, and in a modest but earnest 
manner. At first the Elector was shocked and 
touched b}^ this appeal; but later, excited by his 
courtiers against Spener, he felt himself offended, 
and was seized with a violent dislike for the man 
who had presumed to censure and correct him. 
He sent the letter back to Spener with a long and 
rambling answer which, though not severe toward 
Spener, accused other persons of instigating the 
action. These innocent persons he threatened 
with serious punishment for the supposed injury. 

Spener hastened, in a second letter, to assure 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 71 

the Elector that the step was taken without the 
knowledge or co-023eration of any other person, 
that it was done by him alone, in the discharge 
of his official duty. But this letter was returned 
to him by the privy Councilor unopened. After 
this ^ the Elector never again attended Spener's 
preaching; and at communion was served by 
another preacher. For a time Spener wished to 
resign; but supported by the consciousness of his 
innocence, he continued in the administration of 
his office. This condition of affairs remained the 
same for a year, and there was hope that the 
anger of the Elector would finally subside. But 
it happened that in conversation with a person of 
rank, the Elector was assured that this person 
had been shown copies of the offensive letter 
sent by Spener and the answer thereto. The 
Elector, believing this, was again made furious 
against Spener. The latter was questioned in 
the matter by two privy Councilors sent by the 
Elector; but his assurances that the letters had 
never passed out of his hands, and that no one 
had copied a line of them, were all made in vain. 
The Elector determined upon the removal of 
Spener from his service, and was not long in find- 
ing a suitable occasion to accomplish this. The 
position of Provost, or superintendent in the St. 
Nicholas Church at Berlin was left vacant, and 
Spener was quietly approached concerning his 
acceptance of the position. His answer was an 
evasive one, and Teuber was called to the position 
in his stead. But Teuber lived only a few months 
after taking charge of his new^ office, and the 
Brandenburg government formally repeated the 
call to Spener. 

Others might have looked upon this uncon- 
ditionally as a divine call, and have gladly seized 



72 SPENER AND HIS WOEK. 

the opportunity to free themselves from a difficult 
situation; but not so Spener. He answered, that 
he was ready to go anywhere that God would lead 
him J as soon as he was certain that he was di- 
vinely called to another position. He was not 
yet satisfied that he should leave an office to 
which he had evidently been divinelj^ led, al- 
though he was no longer able to work in it as he 
wished to do. Not until the Brandenburg gov- 
ernment and the Saxon should come to an agree- 
ment in the matter, without any intervention of 
his own, should he feel that the will of God was 
in it. 

The Brandenburg government did not under- 
stand the situation of Spener at Dresden, and did 
not suppose that his resignation Avould be accepted 
at the Saxon Court. No advance in the matter 
was therefore made, and the negotiations ceased. 
In the meanwhile, at the approach of the winter 
of 1690, the Saxon Elector returned from his 
campaign on the Rhine. He soon complained 
that he could not live in his palace because of 
Spener, and sought to obtain his resignation, 
promising him a considerable pension for the rest 
of his life, in case he would transfer his services 
elsewhere. But Spener declined decidedly the 
whole proposition; first, because it would seem to 
admit a suspicion of fault and offense toward the 
Elector; and again, because he would not of his 
own will lay down an office to which he had been 
divinely directed. The Saxon Princess, wife of 
the Elector, especially loved Spener and prized 
his services, and she now^ strove to act as a paci- 
fying agent between Spener and her husband. 
She proposed that Spener should occupy a City 
Church instead of the Palace Chapel; but this 
Spener, also, declined to do. The Elector would 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 73 

hear no reason in the matter of Spener's removal; 
but continued in his determination to accomplish 
it. A hint from the Saxon Court about the situ- 
ation reached Berlin, and immediately formal 
propositions for Spener's removal were sent to the 
Elector by the Brandenburg Government. The 
Elector, with his own hand, wrote the required 
dismissal, granting with it all costs of travel and 
a pension to Spener for life, which reverted to 
his wife in case she survived him. Two days 
after came the call from Berlin to the office of 
Provost, which included that of Inspector and 
Consistorial Councilor. 

The parting of Spener with the Princess and 
her two young sons was painful and reluctant; 
and was never entire, since Spener remained the 
Counselor and Confessor of the Princess through 
the long years of her widowhood, the Elector not 
long surviving the departure of Spener. 



CHAPTER VI. 

SPENER AS 

PROVOST AT BERLIN PIETISTICAL EXTREMES 

THE CONFESSIONAL PIETISTIC CONTROVERSY — 

ATTEMPTS AT CHURCH UNION. 

Thus had the providence of God led Spener in 
his appointed work from the South to the North 
through Germany. His present position was not 
at all equal in outward splendor or in revenue to 
the one which he had just vacated; but he did 
not consider it from a worldly point of view. He 
saw only the work which was to be done in the 
name of the Lord, and rejoiced sincerely at the 
change. He found in the great Church broader 
opportunities for good than in the small Court 
congregation at Dresden. He soon observed in 
his hearers an earnest desire for the powerful 
preaching of God's Word. He also found the 
Lutheran Church here much better than those 
outside the State had thought; not, however, in 
relation to its evangelical life, but in its relation 
to the State. The ruling Elector, Frederick the 
Third, was Reformed; but he treated the Lutheran 
and Reformed Churches with equal love and jus- 
tice. The earlier strife between these denomina- 
tions had been entirely quieted, w^hile the liberties 
of the Lutheran Church were in no way interfered 
with. Lutherans were not limited in the use of 
their orders of worship, and had the liberty of 
preaching from the pulpit concerning the points 
in dispute between them and the Reformed 
(74) 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 75 

Church, on the sole condition that they refrained 
from offensive language and slanders. The gov- 
ernment provided for the prosperity of the Luth- 
eran Church, by proper ordinances for the exami- 
nation of candidates, and the teaching of the 
Catechism by the preachers. The custom of exor- 
cism at baptism was left free to those who desired 
it; but no one dared to force it upon others. 

Spener found here that spirit of love and gen- 
tleness in which the Church has never failed to 
prosper. 

To these conditions Spener, with his wisdom 
and moderation, was admirably suited to move 
forward toward the possession of those excellent 
opportunities to which he was especially called. 
The love and respect with which he was received 
increased, and it continued in undiminished 
strength long after his death, nor was it ever 
shaken through all the attacks and calumnies to 
which he was subjected by his enemies. This 
fidelity enabled him to serve the people with great 
success and benefit, not only in local affairs, but 
throughout the entire province. His work in the 
Consistory was the same that he had had in Dres- 
den; but as Provost, he was entirely free from 
official and pastoral work. He was, however, 
obliged to preach twice each week, to superintend 
the schools and inspect the diocese. From the 
beginning of his work here, he took up of his own 
accord the catechisation of the people, and con- 
tinued it with his usvial zeal. Spener' s actual 
work here was much more burdensome than it 
had been in Dresden; but his relations with his 
colleagues were pleasant, and his duties were 
much lightened, when a few months after his 
arrival in Berlin, John Caspar Schade was ap- 
pointed his assistant in office. 



76 SPENEE AND HIS WORK. 

During the same year, Spener was much dis- 
quieted by the prospect of being recalled to Dres- 
den. The Elector died, and Spener' s, return 
became the subject of discussion at the Saxon 
Court, but was followed by no result at that time. 
Later, his return was proposed; but the proposi- 
tion met with no encouragement. 

He might have now enjoyed in peace and 
quietness a rich and blessed harvest from his 
years of Christian labor, had he not again been 
attacked by his adversaries and drawn into one 
controversy after another. These disputes lasted 
long after his death; and while he lived he 
was daily called to mourn for the storm-shaken 
Church. 

He had guarded his movements in the Church 
with the greatest care. He had striven to bind 
into one the intelligence and holy life of the 
Church, and had always warned against an 
empty enthusiasm. But to his account were 
charged all of the excesses into which pietism 
fell. Pulpits, tracts and books were used as 
means of attack, and became the instruments of 
a bitter war of words. All the chief theologians 
of Germany were joined to one party or the other 
in attacking or defending the Pietists. The term 
Pietist became a nick-name for all departures 
from custom and every heresy or schism in the 
Church. 

The faithful preaching of Spener, his zealous 
efforts to purify the Church and advance the 
cause of vital religion, were no doubt the prime 
cause of these disputes. And as the truth is 
always attended by error, there can be no doubt 
but that many perversions and abuses attended 
the wide-spread results of his work. There were 
not a few fanatical souls whose test of religion 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 77 

was asceticism, a manner of walk, a style of cloth- 
ing or a form of speech. Some, and these 
usually women, pretended or imagined them- 
selves to be inspired, or especially illuminated in 
mind as to the Scriptures. 

Spener had adopted the more moderate and 
purer form of Chiliasm, believing that the Church 
of God would be purified from every evil, and 
finally reign supreme in the world. Many others, 
however, seized upon this idea and carried it ta a 
most extravagant length. 

Hypocrisy, which is a pretending to something 
that we do not possess, and which may arise from 
design or from self-deception, was another result 
of the movement. This kind of affectation was 
adopted by several of the German princes and 
also by the king of Denmark, and was the cause 
of a wide-spread assumption of pious manners 
and speech, in order to gain favor with these 
courts. There was also temptation to run into 
extreme religious excitement. There were many 
religious meetings for edification, and the edifica- 
tion was by means of singing hymns, oft'ering 
prayer and reading the Scriptures. Connected 
with this was also Scripture reading and worship 
in the family. This was all to be desired in 
moderation; but some laid stress on the number 
of meetings attended, the length of prayers, and 
the minghng of religion in common conversation. 
The outward act, and not the spirit and life, 
became the object in the eyes of many; and merit 
was therefore attached to the observance of these 
things. 

AU this Spener bitterly deplored; but he never- 
theless held himself above the injuries to which 
he was subjected, either by his followers or his 
adversaries. He strove by every means to teach 



78 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

the truth in all moderation and to bear himself 
with loving kindness toward all. 

The establishment of the University of Halle 
was one of the most important events in ihe life 
of Spener, as it was also in the history of the 
Pietistic controversies and the Protestant theology. 
It was the carrying out of one of Spener' s chief 
desires, and was due to his representations of its 
great value in shaping the future of the Church 
in- a province of so much importance. As we 
shall hereafter see, it became the stronghold of 
moderate Church reforms and of a strong phil- 
anthropic and religious life. 

Amid the distresses and great disquiet caused 
by the Pietistic questions, there arose still another, 
which, Spener complained, brought him the most 
difficult experiences of his life. 

Among the many corruptions of the Lutheran 
Church, Spener looked upon the abuse of the 
Confessional as one of the greatest. Private Con- 
fession had been unknown in the ancient Church; 
but had become a custom of the Catholics, which 
was enforced by law in the thirteenth century. 
It was meant to afford the priest opportunity for 
an exact knowledge of the spiritual condition of 
his church members, that he might, according to 
need, administer rebuke and admonition. Luther 
had this praiseworth 3^ object also in view when 
he insisted on retaining Private Confession in the 
Church, although he did not consider it necessary 
to the proper enjoyment of the holy communion. 
But now, as confession was practiced, together 
with the absolution following, it had come to be 
with many an opits operatum which but served as 
an assurance of carnal security. Spener had long 
deplored and opposed this mistake in his experi- 
ence with his congregations. He had not hesi- 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 79 

tated to tell frankly what a burden and martyrdom 
the confessional was for conscientious preachers, 
because of the forgiveness of sin announced to so 
many unworthy and unrepentant persons who 
were but strengthened in their sins. The power 
to forgive sin he said was not a human attribute, 
but a divine grace through which fallen sinners 
were reconciled to God and the congregation, and 
strengthened in soul. But the present custom of 
going to confession and seeking absolution at 
certain times in order to be admitted to com- 
munion he considered useless and even harmful. 
The confessor's fee, or Beicht-pfennig, he consid- 
ered a shame to the Church and had long desired 
it to be discontinued. But he saw no hope of 
this, partly because of the poverty of many of 
the preachers, and in part because of the ad- 
vantage gained through it over their congrega- 
tions, he believed that it would be easier to move 
heaven and earth than to rob them of this idol. 

His assistant, Schade, was particularly averse 
to the confessional; and being of a melancholy 
disposition, its use so disturbed him that he was 
relieved of the formal hearing of confession at the 
confessional, and was placed in the sacristy where 
he should have opportunity to speak from the 
■ heart with the erring children of^the Church. But 
this did not quiet his anxiety, and in a short time 
he published a small tract, entitled: "A Few 
Questions from the Confessional." He hoped to 
receive satisfactory answers to this, but did not. 
He, therefore, soon followed with another: 'Trac- 
tice of the Confessional and Communion." 

This little work was so severe in its character 
and expressions, that Spener declared that when 
he read it, he was shocked almost to death. 

Schade admitted the great value that Luther 



80 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

had foreseen in the confessional; but said that his 
practical experience had taught him different 
things concerning it. That while it was not al- 
ways injurious or valueless, that its limited value 
was no compensation for its dreadful abuses. 
' ' Praise it who will, ' ' he says, ' ' I say, Belcht- 
stithl ! Satanstuhl ! Feuerpjahl ! ' ' 

These hard expressions caused general excite- 
ment in t'he Church, which Schade further in- 
creased by assembling those who were to commune 
in the sacristy on the following Sunday all to- 
gether, instead of singly, where he publicly and 
touchingly admonished them. Then he knelt in 
prayer for them, and repeated a general confession 
aloud, instructed them how to prepare in the most 
worthy way for communion, and having absolved 
them all together, and aloud, dismissed them with 
the benediction. This occurred two successive 
Sundays, and meanwhile Schade refused to occupy 
the private confessional. 

The congregations and the ministerium were 
disquieted and divided in sentiment. Spener 
sympathized with his colleague, but also blamed 
him for his rashness. A number of citizens de- 
manded that Schade be required to return to the 
customary use of the confessional or that he be 
removed from office. The Elector, being now in 
Prussia, caused an investigation of the complaints 
and demands to be made. The commission ap- 
pointed to examine into the matter was composed 
of one Berlin magistrate, nine Lutheran members 
of the Electoral Council, and the Ministerium of 
the St. Nicholas Church. A deputation of citi- 
zens, through an advocate, presented their com- 
plaint against Schade, who most excellently de- 
fended himself in person. 

But another body of citizens from Berlin and 



SPENEE AND HIS WORK. 81 

Coeln also appeared by an advocate, and ob- 
jected to the complaint which had been made 
without their knowledge or consent, and pleaded 
earnestly for their true-hearted preacher and 
pastor. They also demanded that the use of the 
private confessional be left free to every person 
according to conscience, and that those who 
wished, be admitted to communion without con- 
fession. 

They said that until they had been taught 
better, they had made an idol of the confessional, 
and had believed that without private confession 
there was no forgiveness of sin. Now they knew, 
that while in the Church confession and absolu- 
tion was necessary, private confession was not, 
that Luther had not so held it, and that Christ 
had instituted the holy communion without it. 
They admitted that private confession had long 
been an offense to them, and that they had only 
submitted to it through obedience to the order 
of worship in use. 

Spener was greatly surprised by this unex- 
pected interference and the expression of these 
adverse sentiments. He had been entirely ig- 
norant of the mind of the people on the subject. 
One of the Electoral Council had complained 
privately to him in the same manner; but he had 
come from an Alsatian congregation where the 
use of the confessional had not been required, 
and Spener had advised him quietly to accept 
the custom for fear of offense and divisions. But 
while he was striving to bring about peace and 
quiet in the Church, Spener now foresaw the be- 
ginning of new disquiet and division as the result 
of this disturbance. Nor was he disappointed. 
The commission was asked to express themselves 
severally in writing concerning the question ; 



82 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

and so closely was the matter argued that no de- 
cision was reached. It was then referred to the 
two Ministeriums of Coeln and Berlin to suggest 
means by which the confessional should be freed 
from its abuses, and especially to find means by 
which the offensive confessor's fee should be dis- 
continued and the preacher be indemnified for its 
loss. Meanwhile^ Spener strove to quiet the citi- 
zens by kindly warnings as to the difficulties and 
divisions likely to occur should their demands 
be persisted in; but as he was unsuccessful in 
this, he finally allowed the most zealous against 
the confessional to receive communion after a 
preparatory sermon and confession and absolution. 

Writings appeared, however, that added new 
fuel to the fire, and Spener strove from the pulpit 
to influence his people to return to the old order 
of things, and to heal the differences between 
them. But the party zeal was too great, and con- 
tinued to embitter the Church long after Schade's 
death, which occurred in July, 1694, before the 
commission had time to render a decision in the 
matter of the confessional. 

But a decision was finally reached in Novem- 
ber of the same year, and the Elector announcod 
that the use of the private confessional should 
remain to those who desired it; but that every 
Saturday afternoon a preparatory sermon should 
be preached to communicants, and that those to 
whom private confession was offensive should be 
allowed to commune without it, provided they 
presented themselves during the preceding week 
to the pastor for preparation in the line of his 
pastoral office.* 

■^ The frequency of the preparatory sermon and communion 
was due to the large numbers of people included in a single 
congregation. Some were obliged to commune every Sunday 
in order to reach the whole congregation once or twice a year. 



SPENER AND HIS WORE:. 83 

Wittenberg and Leipzig and other schools and 
pastorates now joined in the dispute, which did 
not fail in painful condemnation, accusation, and 
grave misunderstanding, in which too great zeal 
and passion sometimes obscured truth and justice. 

While Spener was engaged with these immedi- 
ate difficulties, the pietistic strife again broke out, 
and writings appeared in which Spener was so 
misrepresented that he felt obliged to defend him- 
self for the sake of the Church and his position. 
This renewed controversy did not soon abate. 
Spener was often compromised by the extreme 
expressions and conduct of those claiming to be 
true Pietists, and again by the appearance of cer- 
tain works of a decidedly Chiliastic character, 
which he had not known of and did not even read. 

A long dispute was again renewed over the 
proper conduct of church members, the Pietists 
demanding that dancing, theatre-going, novel 
reading, elegant and gay clothing and improper 
modes of conversation be abjured, while the great 
majority of the pastors and church members held 
them to be quite indifferent matters. 

It now seemed as if so many persons and opin- 
ions had entered into the Pietistic controversy 
that an increase of the excitement was no longer 
possible. And yet this occurred through an at- 
tempt to unite the two Protestant Churches. 
The plan for a union of the Lutheran and Cath- 
olic Churches which had but lately been proposed 
was frustrated; and now the moment seemed 
favorable for a Protestant union. The Elector of 
Brandenburg had taken upon himself the royal 
honors of Prussia, and at his coronation he had 
promoted two court preachers to the bishopric, an 
overture to the English Church, which was also 
included in the unionistic plan. A commission 



84 SPENEE AND HIS WOEK. 

of learned and prominent theologians, both of the 
Reformed and Lutheran churches was appointed, 
and among them was included Spener. 

But Spener declined to act. He had often been 
accused of departing from Lutheran doctrine, and 
he felt that these accusations Avould seem to be true 
in case he should act freely in the matter of union. 

He had been in favor of union; but felt that 
it was far from advisable at this time. He be- 
heved that the condition of the two branches of 
the Church would not admit of union, that a 
better spiritual condition must exist before it 
would be possible, and that those who could not 
then live in peace and brotherly love in the 
Church of their choice, assuredly could not, when 
united to any dissenting body. He said that the 
division of the Church was an old and dangerous 
evil, and that if heedlessly touched, greater evils 
would result which would prevent the final heal- 
ing of the Church's wounds; and that it were 
better to leave the trouble as it was than to 
attempt so dangerous a cure. 

But the Commission met in many sessions. 
Various proposals for union were submitted, but 
came to naught. The Pietists were accused of 
being the chief seekers after union, and again 
there was an exchange of controversial writings. 
One of these, by a professor of logic in a gym- 
nasium at Hamburg, Sebastian Edzardi, was so 
passionate and slanderous against the Pietists, 
especially Spener, that the theological faculty of 
Halle complained, and upon an inquiry held by 
the government, the king ordered the public 
burning of many of these slanderous writings, 
and the order was duly executed. 

This was the last great commotion in the 
Church which occured during Spener' s life. 



CHAPTER VII. 

SPENER's private life — HIS LAST DAYS AND DEATH. 

Spener of all his contemporaries had looked 
the deepest into the infirmities of the Church, and 
had worked the most faithfully for their healing 
according to the powers which God had given 
him. At the end of his earthly course, he could 
not fail to be pained by the many distresses and 
divisions which she yet suffered. But on the 
other hand he was quickened by the glad convic- 
tion that much of the good seed sown by him, 
through God's grace, was already springing up. 
He felt that the necessity of a practical Christian- 
ity was now beginning to be everywhere felt, and 
that his ideal was coming nearer to a living reality. 
Neither were there lacking kindly men, who 
awakened by his own ministry, were able to 
carry on the work which he had begun according 
to his own ideas. His hopes especially rested on 
the future of the young university in wdiose estab- 
lishment he had taken so important a part, and 
which he had continued to watch over with such 
loving interest. In this he hoped for the groAvth 
of a theology, cleansed from the hardness and 
corruptions of scholasticism, and by which the 
younger generation should be led from an empty 
and rambling pompousness to solid and healthful 
religious knowledge. 

Spener had now come to feel his growing age 
and weakness; but his interest and activity in the 
(85) 



86 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

Church did not in any wise diminish. At his re- 
quest he had been given an especial assistant in 
Archdeacon Blankenburg; but the extra time 
which this appointment afforded him was used 
for the general good of the Church. 

He yet preached twice each week without diffi- 
culty, and kept up his usual catechetical teaching 
and pastoral and consistorial business. In the 
last years of his life he received great and merited 
distinction through the appearance of a collection 
of his theological treatises. These were rich in 
matters of experience, observation, retrospections 
and warnings for theologians, preachers and Chris- 
tians of all stations. 

All of these treatises did not appear until after 
his death. The last of them were finally col- 
lected and printed at Frankfort, and only then 
was it seen in what a wide sphere he had worked. 
From them were best learned his merits, his 
gifts, his ideals, his intellect and activity and the 
exact condition of the Church, and the move- 
ments with which he was connected. In all cases 
one finds him exercising a free, thoughtful and 
equitable judgment drawn from the fountain of 
the divine Word, showing reason and knowledge 
of mankind as well as a deep acquaintance with 
Christian truth and the foundation of the Evan- 
gelical Church. Withal his writings are marked 
by wisdom and modesty, and they are for all time 
a treasure to the student and preacher. It is only 
to be regretted that these writings are of a heavy 
and tedious style, a fault which was always 
known and acknowledged by the author. 

In this presentation of Spener's public life we 
have found little room to speak of his home life. 
The whole of it might be summed up in two 
words : work and prayer. Every important busi- 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 87 

ness was begun by calling upon God. He rose 
while it was yet dark to accomplish that for which 
he needed no light: he prayed alone, then he 
assembled his entire household to morning 
prayers. Every event and movement of life was 
held up to God in prayer, and then submitted 
trustfully to the divine will. He slept quietly 
and healthfully, and rose regularly at half-past 
five o'clock, and on Sundays at four. He worked 
the entire forenoon without intermission, and 
rarely allowed anything to disturb him. He 
dined at midday and after a short sleep, taken 
sitting in his chair, went again about his work. 
In the later afternoon he received all visitors, and 
during conversation with them he either stood or 
walked the floor, in order thus to take some 
necessary exercise. He took his simple evening 
meal alone in his room to save time. Sunday 
afternoon he inspected the churches, and upon 
the way read some book, for which he could find 
no other time. When he took a journey, he pre- 
pared lectures as he traveled. There was a garden 
behind his house in Berlin, but it is said that he 
never visited it but twice, and then only for a few 
minutes. His household and habits of dress were 
simple, and he always went about the city on 
foot, never indulging in the luxury of a carriage. 
He rarely accepted invitations, and on the few 
occasions that he dined with friends, did not de- 
part from his usual abstemious habits. He was 
of serene and cheerful, but earnest, speech. De- 
spite his fine discernment of character, he seemed 
unable to believe that any one could purposely 
deceive him, and the bitterest experiences in this 
respect never caused him to close his heart against 
those seeking his counsel and help. He was a 
sympathizing friend, a father to the poor and 



88 SPENER AND HIS WORK. 

needy, who never turned from him without com- 
fort and assistance. He was a faithful colleague 
in office, and an exemplary husband and father. 
He was not ashamed to confess his faults openly, 
and often begged his congregation to remind him 
of his failures, and received such reminders from 
the commonest people with gentleness and thanks. 
All these merits were crowned by a sincere humi- 
lity that was evident in all his words and deeds. 
He was averse to hearing any public praise of 
himself or his work. He only allowed his por- 
trait to be painted when his friends represented 
that he could thereby assist a very poor but 
worthy artist. 

Spener preached for the last time before his 
congregation early in June, 1704. He then vis- 
ited his old friend and patron, the widowed 
Electress, and preached to her on the difference in 
the death of the believer and the unbeliever. 
After his return he commenced a letter to a friend 
but could not finish it, being overtaken by ex- 
treme weakness. He became ill and felt that his 
end was near. On the eleventh of June, he called 
about him all his colleagues of the St. Nicholas 
Church. To them he spoke of the agreement of 
his faith with the doctrines of the Evangelical 
Church and the Symbolical Books, and of many 
other things near his heart. He held fast to his 
faith in better times for the Church, and said that 
he had striven faithfully to discharge the duties 
of his office, but that he had failed in much, for 
which he hoped God would forgive him. He 
expressed no hope in his own righteousness, 
but trusted in God's grace through Jesus Christ. 
He reminded his colleagues of his love for them 
and of his daily prayers in their behalf, and 
admonished them earnestly to preserve unity and 



SPENER AND HIS WORK. 89 

peace among themselves. To this he added that 
lie held the pastoral care of the congregation to be 
the chief treasure of the preacher's office, and re- 
gretted that he had been prevented by the duties 
of office from the exercise of it in Berhn and 
Dresden. He spoke of his theological adver- 
saries, and called his friends to witness his good 
will toward them and his good wishes for them. 
After this, he so far recovered as to be able to 
work a little in his room, and his friends hoped 
for his complete restoration; but with the be- 
ginning of Avinter more serious symptoms set in 
and he grew steadily weaker. As his weakness 
increased he was filled with ecstatic joy that he 
knew to be the approach of his final release. On 
the 13th of January, in the year 1705, which was 
his seventieth birthday, he prayed aloud, thank- 
ing God for his grace and pleading for the forgive- 
ness of his sins. He took leave of the king by 
letter, begging for his care over the treasures 
which he left behind him: the Church, the 
schools and his beloved family. 

He forbade his burial in black, saying that he 
had sorrowed enough over the Church on earth, 
and wished to enter the Church triumphant, 
showing by his white garment that he died hop- 
ing better things for the Church militant. 

Spener died quietly on the 5th of February, 
1705. On the evening of the 12th of February, 
he was buried in the favorite spot chosen by him- 
self. Thousands came to honor this true shep- 
herd as he was borne to his last resting place. 
In many more his spirit lived on; for he led men 
from death unto life. 



AUGUSTOS HERMANN FRANCKE 
AND HIS WORK. 



BY MARIE E. RICHARD. 



"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they 
shall mount up with wings as eagles.'' — Isaiah xl. 31. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY 

1897. 



Copyright, 1897, 

BY 

THE LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 



AUGUST HERMANN FRANCKE 
AND HIS WORK. 



CHAPTER I. 



Augustus Hermann Francke was born in 
Liibeck, in the northern part of Germany, on the 
22d day of March, 1663. His father, John 
Francke, was a distinguished lawyer of that city 
and register of the Ecclesiastical Court. His 
mother, Anna, was the daughter of David Gloxin, 
who had been the first mayor of Liibeck. In the 
year 1666 John Francke was called to Gotha by 
Ernest the Pious, as Court Counselor and in- 
spector of schools, and removed there with his 
family. But his service there was short, as he 
died in 1670, when the young Augustus was but 
seven years old. He left six living children, 
Augustus being the fourth, and these the wid- 
owed mother continued to guide and educate in 
the way begun by the father, uniting strict piety 
with learning and practical intelligence. In this 
she was materially assisted by her daughter, 
Anna, a girl of a peculiarly sensitive, religious 
disposition. Being next older than her brother 
Augustus, they were much associated together, 
and to the influence of this sister was doubtless 
(93) 



94 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

due much of the early piety exhibited by Francke. 
Together they read the Bible and those books most 
calculated to foster a truly religious spirit, and 
finally Francke begged for a private and secluded 
room, where, separated from the family and his 
playmates, he might, undisturbed, pursue his 
studies and give voice to his frequent prayers. 

But Anna died early, and Francke was left to 
pursue the most important part of his education 
deprived of this gentle monitor, with whom he 
had been accustomed to share the counsels of his 
heart. 

In childhood Francke was taught privately; 
but in his thirteenth year he entered the high 
school of Gotha. Here he spent but one year, 
being then, despite his extreme youth, dismissed 
to the university, his preparation being consid- 
ered complete. But he was too young to enter 
upon the independent life of a German university, 
and spent the two years next following in the 
study of languages at home. 

At this time Francke had already determined 
upon the study of theology, and had read some 
books with reference to this calling. Attachment 
to church forms and an external morality were 
the only qualifications then considered necessary 
for the gospel ministry, and Francke seems to 
have been moral and prudent in his conduct. 
Outwardly he observed his early devotional 
habits, but later he confessed that pride, ambi- 
tion, and zeal in his intellectual pursuits, largely 
controlled his conduct and hindered his attention 
to the more important concerns. 

In the year 1679 he entered the University of 
Erfurt, and pursued his studies for a time; but one 
of his maternal uncles held a family scholarship 
at the University of Kiel, and in order to receive 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 95 

the benefit of this stipend, Francke soon removed 
thither. 

At Kiel he studied Philosophy, Physics, Nat- 
ural History, Latin, Oratory, English and Theo- 
logy. He had heard that Greek and Hebrew 
were^ the two eyes of theology. He had a good 
foundation in Greek, but felt himself weak in the 
Hebrew. He industriously studied the Hebrew 
grammar, and began to analyze, but did not make 
satisfactory progress. In 1682 he went to Ham- 
burg to place himself under the celebrated Hebrew 
teacher, Ezra Edzardi. 

Edzardi directed him to make himself thor- 
oughly acquainted with the first four chapters of 
the first book of Moses, so that he understood 
every word in them, without concerning himself 
with the grammar, and when he had accom- 
plished this again to consult him as to his further 
study. 

Francke considered this a useless exercise, but, 
nevertheless, faithfully obeyed the direction of the 
great teacher, and again presented himself for 
instruction. To his astonishment Edzardi in- 
formed him that he had now mastered one-third 
of the Hebrew vocabulary, and counseled him to 
read the Hel)rew Bible through repeatedl}^; {lege 
biblia, relege biblia, repete biblki); only after this, 
he assured him, would a deeper study of the 
language be valuable. Francke remained two 
months more in Hamburg, and then returned to 
his mother's house in Gotha. Here he read the 
Hebrew Bible through seven times in one year. 
The first reading required three months; but after- 
ward he would read it entirely through m six 
weeks. Through these readings alone he became so 
thoroughly acquainted with the Hebrew language 
that he never lacked for a word. In the same 



96 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

year he took up the study of French and 
learned it. 

While engaged in these studies in Gotha, he 
heard of a student of theology in Leipzig, who, 
being well situated and in good financial circum- 
stances, wished to find a young man to share his 
lodgings, who in return would instruct him in 
Hebrew. Francke became a party to this arrange- 
ment, and in 1684, about Easter, took his depart- 
ure for Leipzig. The young man who here be- 
came his companion and pupil was Wichmans- 
hausen, who so prospered under Francke' s 
teaching, that he afterward became professor of 
oriental languages at Wittenberg. 

Tn 1685 Francke took the degree of Master of 
Arts, and began to lecture in Leipzig as Privat- 
docent. His lectures were well attended, and he 
began now to use his growing influence in another 
direction. Spener and his Bible study in Frank- 
fort had become famous, and the practice of 
holding meetings for Bible study was spreading. 
As an exercise in Biblical exegesis, Francke and 
Paul Anton, with other private lecturers of Leip- 
zig, established a Collegium PJiilobiblicum. 

On Sunday afternoon^ following the afternoon 
sermon, this assembly convened and spent two 
hours in the study of portions of the Old' and New 
Testaments. But notwithstanding his earnest 
theological study, he says of himself in the follow- 
ing year: ^'It troubled me that my theological 
study was so entirely a matter of pure reason and 
science. I begin to see that I cannot give myself 
to a public office and openly teach others concern- 
ing things of which I am not convinced in my 
own heart. I live yet in worldly society, and am 
surrounded with the enticements of sin Avith all 
the established sinful usages. But in spite of 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK.: 97 

this God moves my heart to humble myself be- 
fore Him, pleading for grace, and often on my 
knees I pray to Plim that He will make me a 
complete child of God." 

In this same year, 1687, Francke went to 
Llineburg for study under the celebrated theolo- 
gian, Sandhagen. Here he was required to preach 
in St. John's church, and this threw him into 
great distress of mind. He says : ^ ' I was of such 
a disposition that I aimed not only to preach ac- 
ceptably, but to edify my hearers, and to this 
end chose for my text John xx. 31: 'But these 
things are written, that ye might believe that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; and 
that believing ye might have life through his 
name.' I meant to use this text to show the 
difference between a true and li^T.ng faith, and the 
mistakes of a mere human legalism. As I came 
to think upon this with all earnestness, I became 
conscious that I myself had not the faith spoken 
of in the text. I ceased to meditate upon the 
sermon, and found enough to do within myself." 
He sought in all ways and by erery argument to 
strengthen his faith; but the more he strove after 
the truth the more restless and doubting he be- 
came. In turn he took refuge in the Scriptures, 
and then in dogmatic writings; but was uncon- 
soled by either the words of God or men, and 
found as httle strength in the one as in the other. 
He was tormented by the consciousness of his 
sins, and the knowledge that they had rise in his 
own lack of true faith. Alone, and in great dis- 
tress of mind, he strove to lay hold of the truth. 
He wept and pra^^ed, calling upon the God whom 
he knew not, and pleading for mercy if there be a 
God in heaven. 

One Sunday on which he vras again appointed. 



98 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

to preach he felt that he must again dechne. He 
could not conscientiously preach the Word of God 
to the people in his doubtful and disturbed state 
of mind. Again he fell on his knees and cried 
out in the darkness of unbelief to God and the 
Saviour for light, that he might be rescued from 
his miserable situation. ^' Then/' said he, ^Hhe 
Lord heard me, and so great was His fatherly love 
that He did not remove my doubts and fears little 
by little, with which I would have been abund- 
antly satisfied; but He heard me suddenly. All 
doubts disappeared. I was assured in my heart 
of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. I not only 
could call Him God, but I called Him also Father. 
All the unrest and sadness of my heart were taken 
away. I was filled with joy, and praised God 
with a full heart. In trouble and doubt I had 
bowed my knee, and I arose in the unspeakable 
joy of certainty. I was convinced that all the 
world with its joys and blessings could not awaken 
such pleasure in the hearts of men as this, and I 
had faith that after such a foretaste of the grace 
and goodness of God, the world with its allure- 
ments would be powerless over me." 

He now preached with joy, and from this time 
he reckoned his true conversion. ' ' From this 
time on, ' ' he says, ' ' Christianity was to me a 
serious thing, and it was easy to deny myself un- 
godly pleasures and worldly lusts. God's honor 
and the enlargement of His kingdom among men, 
became the important aim of life. From this 
time on promotion, honor, authority in the world, 
riches, joyous days, and the idolatry of worldly 
things, I no longer regarded. ' ' 

Later, in his ' ' Confession of his inner walk be- 
fore God," he says concerning his faith: ^^ Since 
the moment of my conversion in Liineberg, it has 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 99 

governed my entire life. It is this confession of 
faith in which I hve, the way wherein I walk, the 
truth which I have learned from the Holy Scrip- 
tures, and which the Holy Spirit has sealed upon 
my heart, the narrow way wherein I run, that I 
may^ be guarded from all false ways and that I 
may grasp the whole treasure of life. I know 
well my miserable condition, and that through 
original sin, and also through actual sins, I have 
deserved death and condemnation; the Son of 
God has given Himself for me, and through His 
blood, reconciled me with the Father. God 
attributes to me no more sin, but has justified me 
because I believe on His Only Begotten Son. ' ' 

The faith of Francke was now no more a dogma 
to be believed, but a life to be lived, a pervading 
spirit reaching down through unreckoned years. 

He remained in Liineburg until near Lent 
of the year 16S8. He established here also a 
class for Bible study, as he had done in Leipzig. 
On leaving Liineburg he went to Hamburg. Hero 
he formed a firm and lasting friendship with 
Nicholas Lange, who was teaching, and holding 
public lectures for religious edification. In Ham- 
burg Francke established a private school, and 
here was awakened in him the first desire for the 
great work which he afterward undertook. In 
this school he discovered how inefficient and 
corrupt were the educational systems of the time, 
and how wretched the discipline exercised over 
children generally. The results of his experience 
as a teacher here were afterward given to the 
public in a writing entitled : ' ' The Education of 
Children in Piety and Christian Wisdom. ' ' Re- 
membering these experiences afterward when in 
Halle, ^ ' I knew, ' ' he said, ' ' that the then exist- 
ing system of education was not to be bettered by 



100 FRANCKE AXD HIS WORK. 

the writing of books alone; its improvement must 
be demonstrated.'' 

Just before Christmas of 1688, Francke returned 
to Leipzig, intending again to hold private lectures 
and continue his studies. But before entering 
upon his work there he determined to strengthen 
himself by an acquaintance and short association 
with Spener, whom he held in high esteem. 

He, therefore, repaired to Dresden, where 
Spener was then court preacher. Francke was in- 
vited to the house and the table of this hospitable 
family, and here was sealed that intimate friend- 
ship and confidence that lasted through the re- 
mainder of Spener's life, and influenced Francke' s 
entire course. 

Francke remained with Spener two months, and 
declared it to be a time which was the richest in 
blessing of any in his life. He returned to Leip- 
zig filled with zeal and joy in the work which lay 
before him. Spener had inspired him anew with 
a desire for closer study of the Scriptures, and 
advised a more practical exegetical study than 
Francke had hitherto given them. In addition 
to his lectures in the university, he united with 
Paul Anton and John Caspar Schade in practical 
exegetical readings from the New Testament. 
These readings met with general approval. Dr. 
John Olearius, then rector of the university, 
allowed him the use of an auditorium. An espec- 
ially near friend of Francke' s at this time, was 
Joachim Lange, a younger brother of Francke' s 
Hamburg friend, who afterward became a distin- 
guished professor in the University at Halle. 

Under the influence of the course of Bible study 
instituted by Francke and his friends, many 
students were brought to a living faith, and among 
others, Gottfried Olearius, the son of the rector of 



FEANCKE AND HIS WORK. * 101 

the University. Olearius, the elder, confessed to 
Francke that before his arrival in Leipzig his son 
had been far from promising; but that he was 
noAV an entirely different man, and that he had 
been the means of a great change in his whole 
family. There were many instances of this kind. 
The lecture room was crowded, even the doors 
and windows being filled. Not a few of the theo- 
logical students who had been without piety were 
brought to true repentance and began their studies 
with quite a new spirit. 

Francke himself said : ^ ^ I praise the Heavenly 
Father that I am assured and convinced that 
many have come to a righteous and true repent- 
ance, have denied all the wickedness and worldly 
lusts, and seek to live righteously and piously, 
bearing with Christian patience the mocking of 
those other students who remain hardened in sin." 

But there were those who Avere envious of the 
popularity of the young lecturer. He was accused 
of pride, that he, so young a man, should be 
better able to point out the way of salvation than 
his older and more learned brethren. 

He was blamed with being the head of a ncAV 
sect, a leader of the Pietists, and a teacher of 
error. He experienced now what the Saviour had 
prophesied for His disciples; that they should be 
hated for His name's sake. 

The report that the three young teachers were 
not pure in their doctrine spread rapidly. They 
were said to teach the merit of good works, and 
not being satisfied with the Scriptures, to depend 
upon immediate revelation. 

Hearing this, Francke went of his own accord 
to the Dean of the Theological Faculty, and 
begged him not to give ear to such groundless 
reports, but to convince himself of their falsity by 



102 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

thorough investigation. The Faculty met in 
council over the matter, and an examination of 
Francke's teaching followed, which was entirely 
satisfactory. But in the meantime the preachers 
of the city were aroused, and denounced him from 
the pulpit. 

At the funeral of one of Francke's hearers, 
Carpzov, the bitter enemy of Spener, uttered hard 
things against all pious assemblies and their sym- 
pathizers. He declared that the only result 
would be rather pious, but also rather illiterate 
students. 

The attention drawn upon Francke and his 
friends by this sermon was increased by a funeral 
poem prepared for the same occasion by Prof. 
Joachim Feller. It began as follows: 

Es ist jetzt Stadt-bekannt der nam' der pietisten; 
Was ist ein Pietist ? der Gottes Wort studirt 
Und nacli demselben audi ein heilig Leben fiihrt. 

Through this, the name Pietist came really into 
use; it spread at once to Dresden as the name of 
a new sect which had sprung up in the Leipzig 
University. 

The chief Consistorium of the city now ordered 
a report from the University concerning the teach- 
ing of Francke and his friends; and in October, 
1689, Francke, Schade, Anton, Ehlers, Achilles, 
and some other lecturers who were suspected of 
Pietism, were brought to a formal examination. 
The result of this inquiry was favorable in so far 
that no ground of complaint was discovered, and 
it was believed that many of the adverse reports 
arose from the dissatisfaction of professors who 
found their lectures interfered with by the vigor- 
ous and pious work of these young men. 

But despite the fact that his innocence had 
been established, Francke was called upon to 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 103 

make a special defense. The matter was taken 
up by various theologians, and considerable con- 
troversy ensued. In the beginning of the inquiry 
Francke had been forbidden to continue his lec- 
tures pending his examination, and the privilege 
was- not again permitted him. The Philosophical 
Faculty, however, gave him permission to lecture, 
and he began a course on Jacob Thomasius' Tables 
de affectitus. But again the Theological Faculty 
was offended, complaining that he made con- 
tinual use of Biblical illustrations. He now 
formed a class to which he lectured on the edu- 
cation and discipline of the young; but this was 
soon cut short by the death of an uncle, whose 
business affairs required his presence in Liibeck. 
This ended Francke' s career as a student and 
private lecturer (Privat-docent), In June, 1690, 
he received a call as assistant in the Augustinian 
Church at Erfurt, and accepted it. 



CHAPTER II. 

FRANCKE AS PREACHER AND PASTOR AT ERFURT 

UNIVERSITY OF HALLE — FRANCKE AS PROFESSOR 
AND PASTOR AT HALLE — THE PIETISTS. 

Francke, who well knew the sentiments of the 
most of the ministers in Erfurt, expected nothing 
but the most violent opposition to himself and 
his methods. But he was strengthened and 
cheered during all his ministry here by the sup- 
port and friendship of Dr. Joachim Justus Breit- 
haupt, whom he had before known at Kiel. 
These two found themselves in hearty accord in 
their work. Both preached with power and 
effect, and preached the same chief doctrine: 
that a secure and only outwardly honorable walk 
in life was in no way the mark of a true Chris- 
tian; but that the entire inner man musi be re- 
newed, that the corrupt human nature must be 
renewed in holiness, and from this must spring 
the fruitful life sustained by a living faith in the 
living Saviour. 

Crowds of people streamed to the churches to 
hear the preaching of these two men; even Cath- 
olics, in great numbers, sought them, and many 
were moved to begin a new religious life, and 
many Catholics went over to the Lutheran Church. 

But Francke and Breithaupt did not confine 
themselves to preaching. They assembled the 
people in their houses for especial religious in- 
struction, taking occasion to inform themselves 
(104) 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 105 

as to the individual needs of the people, and to 
speak with them directl}^ from their hearts, ex- 
ercising a true pastoral care for their spiritual 
welfare. Francke also began here to hold daily 
lectures on the Bible for students, and as this 
became known, students were drawn to Erfurt 
from Leipzig and Jena, and among these came 
his friend, Joachim Lange. 

But this good work could not quietly go for- 
ward. The words of Luther were here indeed 
fulfilled. '^It cannot be otherwise than that 
where Christ is, there will also be Judas, Pilate, 
Herod, Caiaphas, Annas, and also the Cross, else 
it is not the true Christ." 

Many were so prejudiced that they saw in these 
preachers only emotion, fanaticism and pietism. 
But the greatest enmity Francke drew upon him- 
self from the Catholics. He was in the habit of 
ordering copies of the New Testament and of 
Arndt's True Christianity from Liineburg and 
other places for sale and free distribution. This 
caused the report that he procured heretical books 
and circulated them among the people. The story 
found ready belief with Francke' s enemies, and 
he was strenuously forbidden by the city govern- 
ment to handle heretical books. 

He xjontinued, however, as before, to order and 
to circulate the Bible and other books of the char- 
acter of Arndt's True Christianity, since he did 
not consider them in the forbidden category. 
But the magistrates had given strict orders at the 
postoffice and the city gates, that all suspicious 
packages in Francke' s name be taken at once to 
the City Council chamber. A package was soon 
received and confiscated. Francke was cited to 
appear and answer as to why he had broken the 
command of the magistrates. He simply replied 



106 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

that he had not done so. Thinking to convict 
him both of his fault and its denial, the package 
was brought and opened in his presence. Nothing 
was found in it but Liineburg New Testaments. 

The councilmen were ashamed, and gave 
Francke an honorable dismissal. He assured 
a friend that it was as good as if he had sent a 
crier through the town to announce the arrival of 
this order of New Testaments. 

There were large numbers of Catholics in Erfurt, 
and the city was under the government of the 
Elector of Mainz. When Francke had preached 
a year and three months in that city, he suddenly 
received notice from the ruling Elector of his im- 
mediate removal from office, because of his being 
the founder of a new sect. To this order was 
added one requiring his removal from the city. 
This movement he recognized as the secret work 
of his enemies, and he went at once to the City 
Council and denied that he was guilty of any 
cause of removal. He was counseled, however, 
to submit to the order made, whereupon he 
answered: ^^The wicked flee when no man pur- 
sueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion." 

Without further opportunity for defense, 
Francke was deprived of his office, and ordered 
to leave the city within forty-eight hours. 

He memorialized the magistrates in a plea at 
once modest and courageous, setting forth the 
wrong practice of condemning a man unheard as 
against all divine, human or natural laws, and 
begged to be allowed the right of defense, which 
was permitted even the worst criminals. Citi- 
zens and even the children of the Augustinian 
school added their remonstrance to his before the 
Council, but without avail. Francke remained 
dismissed and exiled from the citv. 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 107 

But during the two days that he dared to re- 
main in Erfurt, Francke assembled his friends in 
his own house, and pleaded with them in a most 
touching manner to stand fast in the grace which 
they had received, remaining true to the end. 
They wept bitterly, and were full of distress at 
what had taken place; but Francke left Erfurt 
cheerfully, filled with the consolations of the Holy 
Ghost. 

He went at once to Gotha to his mother, com- 
posing on the way a beautiful hymn. 

The Duke of Gotha would gladly have retained 
him within his own province; the Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg wished to retain him as professor in an 
academy, and the young Duke of Saxe- Weimar 
called him as court-preacher. 

But another field of labor was now opening be- 
fore him, which appeared to be of greater import- 
ance and wider usefulness. 

A new university was being estabhshed by 
the Brandenburg government in Halle. This 
was the most important event in the history of 
Pietisic religion and Protestant theology. In 
1680, a school for young nobles (Rltterakademie) 
had been founded there. Thomasius had been 
obliged to quit Leipzig and Saxony, because of 
the controversial difficulties growing out of the 
Bible lectures of Francke and his friends there. 
He had fled to Halle, and had been engaged there 
in lecturing on philosophy and law, and had 
drawn after him large numbers of students from 
various other points. The Brandenburg Elector 
already contemplated establishing a university 
within his own domains, and while travehng 
through the place, was struck with the idea of 
turning this academy into a university. 

Spener was Superintendent in Berlin, and used 



108 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

this opportunity to shape the future of the the- 
ological study in the province of Brandenburg. 
He urged upon the Elector the importance of a 
state of six thousand pastorates having its own 
theological school. He argued its influence upon 
other institutions, especially Wittenberg. He be- 
lieved that it would prove a check on the polemi- 
cal and heres3^-hunting spirit then ruling so many 
of the ministers, and that it would, also, be the 
means of keeping money in the kingdom and of 
bringing more. Spener's influence prevailed; 
and working in unison with the Elector, he de- 
termined the character of the new institution. 

In the autumn of 1691, Breithaupt, who was 
now exceedingly sore-pressed by his ministerial 
brethren in Erfurt, was called as Director of the 
Theological Seminary, and Professor of Theology. 
Francke was invited by the Brandenburg Elector 
to visit his court, and this invitation reached him 
at the same time that he was ordered to quit 
Erfurt. At Gotha he awaited some more de- 
cided movement on the part of the Elector. This 
came in December, 1691: Francke was formally 
called to the new university as Professor of Greek 
and Oriental Languages, and to the then vacant 
pastorate of St. George's Church in the suburb 
of Glaucha. This pastorate was given him as 
a royal office "for his better subsistence,'' as the 
new university was not yet richly endowed. 

Francke traveled north to Berlin, and having 
received his credentials, proceeded to Halle on the 
7th of January, 1692. A few years later, Paul 
Anton was also called to Halle as Professor of 
Theology, and here was gathered a faculty well 
prepared to combat the abuses and corruptions of 
the Church, and to carry forward the active 
Christian work begun by Spener. Philosophy 



FHANCKE AND HIS WORK. 109 

was banished from the Theological course, and 
practical and edifying Biblical Exegesis was made 
the chief study. Polemics were exchanged for 
active Christian work. Simple biblical lectures 
took the place of the heretofore abstruse and 
artiffcial commentaries. 

The students were largely of the younger class 
of men, and were pious and earnest, of a strictly 
virtuous and conscientious character and life, 
which compared favorably with the wild spirit of 
license prevailing in other Universities. 

Many of the Universities were yet without re- 
spectable influence on the life and thought of the 
people. The number of University instructors of 
that time, whose names are known to the learned 
world, is, in comparison with those of the six- 
teenth or eighteenth century, so small as to be 
hardly noticeable. Men of large gifts and great 
ability disdained to seek positions in the Uni- 
versities as professors. There is no denying that 
drunkenness, brawling and wickedness of all sorts 
ruled within their halls, and it was only through 
determined interference on the part of the govern- 
ment that a semblance of order was restored and 
maintained. 

Halle was the first to change this order of 
things and set up a new standard of religious and 
moral life as the object of learning, and the rule 
of conduct for its students. This, no doubt, as 
much as doctrinal differences, first excited the 
anger and contempt of those who afterward ar- 
rayed themselves against this University and its 
faculty. 

Friedrich Paulsen, Professor of Philosophy and 
Pedagogy in the University of Berlin, in his recent 
work on German Universities, speaking of Halle 
at this time says: 



110 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

' ' Halle received its impress from three men : 
the jurist Christian Thomasius, the originator of 
the institution, the theologian A. H. Francke, 
and the philosopher Christian Wolff. Thomasius, 
a pupil of Samuel Puffendorf, the first instructor 
in natural law in any German University, was 
through and through a type of the new French 
Court culture. 

^ ^ :^ ^ ^ ^ 

'' Despising alike scholastic philosophy and hu- 
manistic eloquence, theological orthodoxy and 
traditional jurisprudence, he soon got into violent 
disputes with his native University, Leipzig, 
where he lectured as Privat docent Being forced 
to yield, he retired to Halle, and the circle of 
students which he gathered about him became 
the nucleus of the University which was opened 
in 1694. Francke, the foremost representative of 
Pietism, who like Thomasius, had been driven 
from Leipzig, turned the theological teaching of 
the University of Halle in the direction of the 
devout study of the Bible and of practical Christ- 
ianity. ' ' 

To these, the above mentioned writer adds the 
philosopher Christian AVolff, who finally revolu- 
tionized the whole philosophical system of Ger- 
man3^ The object of philosophical instruction 
had been the teaching and application of scholastic 
doctrines, as a preparation for the study of the- 
ology. The new system appealed only to reason, 
and sought after truth without prejudice. 
' ' Mathematics and natural science was its basis, 
and in an equal degree it disclaimed all trans- 
cendental authority for morals and for law." In 
the course of the eighteenth century, Wolff's 
philosophy took possession of all the Protestant 
Universities, and theology and jurisprudence 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. Ill 

came under the influence of his writings, Avhich 
appeared in German under the title of ' ' Reason- 
able Thoughts. " 

At Halle, with Thomasius, originated the now 
much praised and cherished Lehrfreiheit of the 
Germans: the un trammeled freedom of thought, 
teaching and writing, which has made Germany 
so great in the world of scholarship. This is now 
the principle upon which the modern German 
University rests, and in the actual carrying on of 
instruction there prevails practically an absolute 
freedom. This with the philosophical revolution 
of Wolff, and the practical pietism of Francke, 
caused consternation in the learned world. Hate 
and jealousy was speedily excited in the older 
Universities, especially those of Saxony. Theo- 
logical parties arose which had their sources in 
the Universities, and soon the entire force of 
teachers and ministers of the Evangelical Church 
allied themselves with one side or the other. 
Controversies ensued which continued to rage for 
fifty years, and whose spirit is not yet extin- 
guished in the Lutheran Church. 



CHAPTER III. 

FRANCKE AS PHILANTHROPIST AND EDUCATOR. 

It was the custom of the poor in Halle to visit 
the doors of benevolent people once each week to 
receive alms. There was a da}^ appointed in 
each portion of the town for this in-gathering, and 
in the vicinity of the Glaucha parsonage it oc- 
curred on Thursday. Francke always caused 
bread to be distributed among these people ; and 
it soon occurred to him to divide also among 
them the true Bread of Life. In regard to it he 
says: ^' As I saw them before the house awaiting 
alms, I bade them all come in, directing the elder 
ones to one side of the room and the young to the 
other, and began to question the younger ones, in 
a pleasant way from Luther's catechism concern- 
ing the foundations of their Christianity, while 
the older ones listened. I did not occupy more 
than a quarter of an hour in this way, closing 
with prayer. After this I distributed among 
them the usual gifts, giving them at the same 
time to understand that in the future they should 
receive spiritual and physical food together." 

He discovered through these weekly catechisa- 
tions that the ignorance of the poor was so inde- 
scribably great that he did not know where to be- 
gin to establish a solid Christian foundation. It 
troubled him especially, he says, ^'that so many 
children, because of the poverty of their parents, 
could neither be kept in school nor receive in any 
(112) 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 113 

Other way proper bringing up and education. He 
tried giving out weekly a small sum of school- 
money; but though it was regularly taken, it was 
not used for the purpose intended. 

The need of the deserving poor went to his 
heart. ^He, therefore, bought a box, which he 
circulated among Christian students, and others, 
by which means he collected about half a dollar 
each week for the poor. But though people gave 
this small alms cheerfully, they were of a class 
who had but little themselves, and it seemed after 
a time to become burdensome. The rich gave 
nothing to this from their abundance, and 
Francke asked nothing, since they showed no evi- 
dence of true charity, but seemed only desirous 
of gaining credit as especially good Christians be- 
cause of their ability to give more than others. 

Francke, therefore, ceased to take up this col- 
lection, but caused a box to be put up in the liv- 
ing room of the parsonage, and over it wrote these 
words : '' But whoso hath this world's goods, and 
seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his 
bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the 
love of God in him?" and under the box he 
placed the words of Paul to the Corinthians : 
' ' Every man according as he purposeth in his 
heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of neces- 
sity : for God loveth a cheerful giver." 

When this box had been in use for about three 
months, some person placed in it, at one time, a 
sum amounting to about one dollar and eighty- 
eight cents. ''As I took this in my hand," says 
Francke, ''I said to myself with the joy of faith: 
' That is a fair capital. With that one should 
really establish something: I will begin a poor- 
school with this.' I sought no counsel of flesh 
and blood, but went to work in faith, and the 
8 



114 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

same day laid my foundation by using a part of 
the money in the purchase of books. I engaged 
a poor student to teach the children two hours 
each day, promising him for his services six 
groschen^ each week, hoping in the meanwhile 
that God would favor me with a few thaler s more 
in the following weeks. 

^' The beggar-children received the new books 
joyfully; but few returned them on the following 
day. They were either kept or sold." 

But Francke was not discouraged by this. 
With the remainder of the money in hand, he 
again bought books, which the children were 
obliged to leave with him at the close of the 
school hours. 

For the use of this little poor-school, which be- 
gan in regular session at Easter, 1695, he pro- 
vided a room adjoining his own study. In this 
school-room he placed a second box with the in- 
scription: ^'For the enlightenment of poor chil- 
dren, the necessary books and belongings. Anno 
1695." To this was added Prov. xix. 17: ^'He 
that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the 
Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay 
him again." 

Later Fraiicke visited some of his friends, who 
rejoiced with him over his little school, and 
donated a few dollars to its support; others placed 
small sums in the box. Some of the citizens, 
seeing how carefully the poor children were 
taught, sent their own and paid for them one 
groschen apiece the week. By summer there were 
from fifty to sixty scholars in the school. The 
poor not only received free instruction, but twice 
or thrice each week alms were distributed among 

* Fifteen cents. 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 115 

them, which served not only for their bodily 
comfort, but attached them to the school and their 
lessons. 

At Whitsuntide of the same year, Francke laid 
the foundations of what was later the Royal 
Pedagogium or school for the higher classes. 

There was a greater demand for private tutors 
(Hauslehrer). As this demand was not to be 
supplied by any particular class of persons, 
Francke proposed that parents should send their 
children to Halle, where he would take charge of 
their teaching and bringing up under able teachers 
and attendants. Many parents availed themselves 
of this proposition, and thus was established a 
school which in the year 1709, had its inspector 
or principal, twenty-three teachers and seventy- 
two pupils. Through the untiring efforts of 
Francke, two years later this school had its own 
separate building. 

This school had no connection with the school 
for the poor, which was known as the Deutsche 
Burgerschnle^ where none of the classics were 
taught, but only the elementary branches in the 
German language. 

The Pedagogmm, or high school, was intended by 
Francke for the education of the sons of the nobil- 
ity. Three young nobles had been sent him, and 
this was the beginning of the institution. The 
number of the scholars increased, and in the 
course of ten years, the school had seventy pupils, 
and they were obliged to live scattered throughout 
the town in the houses of the citizens. This de- 
cided Francke to provide a building for this 
school, which was done, it being planned and built 
inside of three years. It contained cheerful and 
comfortable abodes for the pupils and their at- 
tendants and teachers. In its plan it showed pro- 



116 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

visions for industrial instruction. In Francke's 
schools no class of people, no walk in life, no 
practical application of knowledge was forgotten. 
The Pedagogium was provided with' Chemical 
Laboratory, Cabinet of Natural Science, Physical 
Apparatus, preparation for anatomical studies, as 
well as turning lathes and furnaces for glass 
moulding. 

There was also a special course preparatory for 
the university. The pupils of this course gave 
much attention to Rhetoric, Logic, Metaphysics, 
Polemics, the Latin classics and Dogmatics. A 
beginning was made in Homiletics, and parts 
of the Old and New Testaments were read in the 
original. 

At the time of Fran eke' s death, this one school 
numbered eighty-two pupils, over which were an 
inspector with twenty-eight teachers and ten as- 
sistants. 

For all these schools Francke prescribed the 
methods of teaching and management himself. 
He wrote out carefully a programme for every 
teacher, and required it to be strictly followed. 

In the Bilrgerschule, there was taught at first, 
reading, writing and simple arithmetic, with reg- 
ular Bible lessons; but later, Natural History, 
Geography and History were added to the course. 

The girls were instructed in all the feminine 
industries, and even many of the poor boys were 
taught to knit. 

The Latin school, which came to be an estab- 
lishment next in order to the Burgerschule, was for 
boys only, and for those of the more gifted sort, 
who were capable of a higher education. It grew 
out of the children of citizens being sent to the 
little poor-school, and was of a higher grade. 
Added to the common branches there was taught 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. Il7 

Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Mathematics, History, 
Geography, Botany and Music. Later, the Latin 
was taught in seven classes, and Physics, Paint- 
ing and Anatomy were added; still later. Oratory 
and Logic became a part of the curriculum. 

The teachers were carefully selected from the 
great mass of students who sought the University 
of Halle, and Francke had the advantage of being 
able to select men who were able and willing to 
conduct the work according to his own ideas and 
desires. 

That all these schools were so entirely under 
the control of one man might have operated as a 
decided injury to the educational s^'stem, and 
doubtless did produce some unfortunate results. 
But this continual oversight and strict control 
were made necessary by the constant changing of 
teachers and their consequent inexperience. The 
teachers, being taken from the University, were 
only pledged to teach for two years, and in that 
time, they could not be expected to gain the nec- 
essary insight or experience required for indepen- 
dent work. 

But the discipline was excellent and salutary, 
and the work must have been finally thorough, 
since no advance in classes or in any special 
branch was permitted unless the lower grade was 
completely and satisfactorily finished by the in- 
dividual. 

The special features of these schools was the 
Pietisic element that showed itself throughout the 
course in the prominence given to certain studies, 
and the hours allowed for devotion. The Greek 
classics were subordinated to the study of the New 
Testament and the Hebrew ; for Francke held 
always before his pupils the necessity of knowing 
the Scriptures. This he believed could only be 



118 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

attained by study of the originals, or, at least, hy 
a thorough knowledge of the language and the 
time in which they were written. To this end 
Francke finally estal)lished a school of Oriental 
languages, with the Bible as an especial study. 
The practical and industrial features were also 
prominent; for hand in hand with the educational 
was the philanthropic idea: the uplifting, assist- 
ing and comforting of the people through useful 
and applied knowledge, and behind and above all, 
religion, practical religion, was at once the motive 
and the object. 

This, however, is more clearly seen in those in- 
stitutions which were more directly philanthropic; 
the Poor-School, the Orphan House and its de- 
pendencies. 

Francke saw to his sorrow^ how many hopeful 
children in his Poor-School were lost at length by 
reason of improper surroundings and lack of care 
in the home. In the autumn of 1605, he deter- 
mined to take some of the children entirely under 
his own care, "and this," said he, "was the first 
move tow^ard the establishment of an Orphan 
House, without having the smallest capital as a 
beginning. 

' ' When I mentioned this project to some friends, 
a good Christian conscience was soon moved to in- 
vest the sum of five hundred thalers,^ of wdiich I 
was to receive the interest each year at Christmas. ' ' 
This interest brought Francke twenty-five thalers 
annually, and w^as the first endowment of the 
Orphanage. He at once sought out a poor orphan 
that could be taken under his own care, and for 
whose comfort and education this money could 
be used. But four fatherless and motherless 

* A thaler is about sixty-nine cents in U. S. money. 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 119 

brothers and sisters were brought to him that one 
might be chosen, '^whereupon," he says, ''I 
ventured upon the Lord to take them all." A 
good Christian family immediately relieved him 
of the care of one of these, but another at once 
appeared in its place. For these four children he 
found homes with excellent people, paying Aveekly 
a moderate sum for their maintenance. Francke 
said that when one had ventured to give a groschen 
to the poor, one no more hesitates to give a thaler, 
and that when without certain capital or human 
promises of assistance, he had taken a few of 
these poor orphans, that he trusted in the Lord 
and took yet more under his care, and he declares 
that his Orphan House was not founded upon 
present capital or the promises of wealthy people,. 
^' but upon the living God in Heaven, only." 

On the day following the reception by Francke 
of the five children already mentioned, two others 
came; the next day another and in two days after 
yet another, and on the 16th of November of that 
year he had nine orphans provided for in Chris- 
tian homes. 

In the oversight and education of these chil- 
dren he now called to his aid a student of The- 
ology, George Henry Neubauer. This young 
man had already commended himself to Francke 
by his assistance in the disorderly Glaucha pas- 
torate, and by his influence over the children of 
the congregation. 

''In the meantime," says Francke, ''came the 
faithful God and Father of the Orphan, who can 
do so much more than I know to ask, so power- 
fully to my aid, that I received much more than 
my foolish reason could have hoped. ' ' 

The same person who had donated the five 
hundred thalers added a thousand to it at the 



120 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

beginning of winter; by mid-winter another sent 
him three hundred, yet another one hundred, 
while the work now so well begun was encouraged 
by a stream of small sums. 

The Poor-School had now overflowed all the 
spare room in the parsonage and additional 
rooms had been rented in the house of a neigh- 
bor. This house was for sale, and Francke 
bought it for three hundred and sixty-five dollars. 
On the back part of this building he added two 
rooms, and to this house Francke brought the 
Poor-School and the orphans whom he had taken 
in charge. These were now twelve in number; 
but seven weeks after the occupancy of the new 
house, there were eighteen under its roof. Neu- 
bauer was placed in charge, and U\o free tables 
were provided for poor students, each accommo- 
dating twelve persons. From these students the 
teachers for the Poor-School were chosen, and 
this was the origin of what was afterward a great 
Teachers' Seminary. 

It was not long until the number of orphans 
and the growth of the school required additional 
room, and Francke bought the next adjoining 
house and united it with the first, dividing the 
children into two classes, and later, as the num- 
bers increased, into four. All these children were 
furnished with the necessary books and received 
their instruction absolutely free. Each class had 
its own rooms and teachers, the boys and girls 
being instructed separately. 

In his care for the young Francke did not for- 
get the older poor. They received all this time 
most helpful aid, and many more than formerly 
partook of his bounty. 

It was at this time that Francke separated the 
Poor-School from the Latin School. This separa- 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 121 

tion did not debar the poor from entering the 
Latin School; for though the division was made 
by the wish of the citizens who were patrons, the 
attendance on the higher school seems to have 
been finally determined by the natural aptitude 
of tli€ poorer pupils, or the object with which 
they studied; for in the year 1709, among two 
hundred and fifty-six pupils in this school, we 
find that sixty-four of them were from the Orphan- 
House. 

The two houses were soon quite too small to 
accommodate the continually increasing number 
of their inmates, and Francke began to think of 
providing a larger building. 

In June, 1697, he sent Xeubauer to Holland to 
study the celebrated orphanages there and con- 
sider their management. In the meantime, a 
small hotel or inn being for sale in Halle, Francke 
bought it, hoping to use it as an orphanage. But 
he was soon aware that the place was neither 
suitably arranged nor large enough for the pur- 
pose. There were now one hundred orphans to 
be cared for, and the students at the free-tables 
numbered seventy-two. 

He, therefore, bought an open space in front 
of the inn which he had purchased, called Keu- 
bauer back from Holland, and on the 24th of 
July, 1698, laid the corner-stone of the present 
chief building of the Halle Orphan-House. 

His experiences in carrying forward this under- 
taking, and an account of the manner by which 
from time to time the necessary funds reached 
his hand for its support, are given in detail in a 
little publication which appeared in 1701. Its 
title indicates its character and contents: * ^Blessed 
footsteps of the living and ministering, loving 
and faithful God, to the shame of doubt and the 



122 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

strengthening of faith, discovered through a true 
and careful report of the Orphan-House and other 
institutions at Glaucha near Halle.-" This work 
is still counted as a religious classic in Germany, 
and in it Francke relates in a simple and touch- 
ing manner, how during the time when he under- 
took this first building, and in the following 
years, when the work broadened more and more, 
and the cost became continually greater, the 
Heavenly Father observed every time of need 
and sent the required provision. 

^'From week to week and from month to 
month," he writes, "has the Lord meted out to 
me according as the need required. Also, we 
enjoyed God's protection; in all the building that 
was done no one was fatally injured, and the few 
who suffered any accident were speedily healed. 
The faithless were also put to shame; for when 
the wall was half done one frivolous person re- 
marked that when that wall was completed he 
would let himself be hanged on it, but the build- 
ing suffered no interruption." 

Before Easter of the year 1696, it came about 
that almost every resource was exhausted, and we 
knew not how to provide for the following week. 
At that time I was not accustomed to such severe 
tests of faith; but at the right time God came to 
our aid with unhoped-for help. He moved some 
person (who it was, whether man or woman, and 
from what place, is only known to the Lord), to 
pay to me bj^ the third and fourth hand a thous- 
and thalers for the continuation of my work, and 
I received it at a time when there was nothing 
more in store. 

"At another time, I had almost nothing, when 
the steward represented that unless the household 
be left to suffer, cattle must be bought, and twenty 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 123 

to thirty bushels of grain be ground for food, to 
say nothing of wood, wool and other things that 
were needed. Had I brought this before the 
Lord in public prayer, doubtless there would 
have been those present who would have hastened 
to my aid with the necessary funds. But one 
would rather give God the honor, who turns no 
man from His door empty, since He is mighty 
enough to help in this way, and when trusted is 
able so clearly to show His providence that one 
can thank Him with greater gladness. There- 
upon I gave myself anew in prayer to God, with 
joy in the certainty of His hearing me, who heard 
the cry of the young ravens. Scarcel}^ had I fin- 
ished my prayer, and seated myself again at my 
table, when there was a rap at the door of my 
room, and I opened it to admit a well-known 
friend. He brought a letter and a roll of money 
which had been sent him for me from another 
place. The roll contained fifty thalers, and there 
were twenty more to come from the same source. 
For that time plenty took the place of need, and 
I knew that God had heard, even before I called. 
'^In October of the year 1698, I sent a pious 
and cross-bearing Christian a ducat. She wrote 
me that it came at a time when she was in great 
need, and that she had at once prayed that my 
poor orphans might be cheered by a heap of 
ducats. Very soon thereafter a benevolent Chris- 
tian brought me a ducat and twelve double ducats. 
On the same day a good friend in Sweden sent 
me two more ducats. Not long after I received 
by post twenty-five ducats from an unknown 
person. Another patron sent me twenty ducats, 
and at the same time Prince Louis of Wiirtem- 
berg died at Eisenach, and I was informed that 
he had left a sum of money to the Orphan-House. 



124 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

It was over five hundred ducats in specie. He 
had it put by in a red satin bag with a note be- 
side it: ' This is for the Orphan-House in Halle.' 
As this heap of ducats lay before me on the 
table, I thought on the prayer of the poor woman, 
and that she had asked God to cheer my poor 
orphans with a heap of ducats. 

^^In February, 1699, we came to such great 
need, that I knew it for an hour of testing and 
trial. I had no means left, and our daily re- 
quirements for the great household of poor were 
considerable. I continued in good courage, 
thinking on the words of Christ: ^Seek ye first 
the kingdom of God,' etc. I let care for the 
things of time fly away, and strove to unite my- 
self more closely to God in faith. As I paid out 
the last of my money I said in my heart: ' Lord, 
look upon my need!' 1 went out of my room on 
my way to lecture at the university as usual; 
but found a student waiting for me, who came 
with a small package of money which had been 
sent by a friend forty miles distant for the use of 
the Orphan-House. The package contained sev- 
enty thalers, and though it sufficed to meet our 
then heavy expenses for only a few days, yet 
God soon encouraged us with as much more, each 
time there was present need, and so provided 
from time to time that I ceased to be disturbed 
by such trials, and no outward need was to be 
traced in the affairs of the institution. 

'^ At one time there was dire necessity in every 
corner. The steward brought his bills and re- 
quired, also, money for the weekly expenses. 
I could only hold my heart to faith in God 
for there was no provision at hand, and these 
expenses were necessary. I knew of no means 
by which they could be supplied. I determined 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 125 

that as soon as I had finished the work which 
I was then dictating to shut myself in my room 
and call upon God for a new blessing. But 
before the work was finished, I was informed 
by a letter from a rich merchant, that he had 
been, ordered to pay me a thousand thaler for the 
use of the Orphan-House. I went to my room, 
and instead of offering my proposed prayer, 
called upon God with thanksgiving and praise. 
As the pa^^ment of this money was not immedi- 
ately made, in the meantime God helped us in 
other ways, that we suffered no deprivation. 

^^ At another time I was in the utmost need of 
funds, but, as I walked out, I observed the beau- 
tiful weather, the clear heavens, and my heart 
was greatly strengthened in faith. I thought to 
myself: 'How great it is when one has nothing 
and can trust in nothing, but knows the living 
God, who hae made heaven and earth, and places 
his trust on Him alone. Thus one can be so calm 
even in failure and want.' I knew, however, 
that I had unsupplied needs to be met the same 
day; yet my heart was so strong in faith that I 
was comforted and gladdened. 

'^ As I went back to the house, I found the man 
awaiting me who was to pay the workmen on the 
building for the Orphan-house now in process of 
erection. He had come for money for this pur- 
pose, as it was Saturday and pay-day. He asked 
me if any had come in. ' No, ' I replied, ' but I 
have faith in God. ' 

^'I had hardly spoken the words when a stu- 
dent was announced, who brought me thirty dol- 
lars from a person whose name he Wc . to withhold. 
I turned again to the building-master, and asked 
how much was required to pay the workmen. 
He replied : ' Thirty thaler. ' ' Here it is, ' I said, 



126 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

and inquired if he needed more. He said: ^ No.' 
We were both strengthened in faith, for we recog- 
nized the wonderful providence of God, who gave 
at the moment and according to need. 

'^ Again there was with us a general failure of 
funds, so that in my prayers I laid special em- 
phasis upon the fourth petition: 'Give us this 
day our daily bread,' and rested in faith espec- 
ially on the words, ' this day, ' since it was for the 
same day needful. As I was j^et in prayer, a 
well-known and loved friend drove up to the door 
bringing me four hundred thaler. I now remarked 
how strongly I prayed for that day, and praised 
the Lord anew who held all things in His hand. 

'^ At one time, a boy who had been brought up 
in the Orphan-house had opportunity to return to 
relatives at his former home, but required two 
thaler to pay the expenses of his journey. I 
would gladly have given him this small sum, but 
I had but little more than half a thaler in store. 
I told the boy how gladly I would give it, but 
that I had not such a sum by me. This -was 
difficult for him to believe, since during all his 
stay in the house he had seen no trace of the fre- 
quent need, at the table or elsewhere. But I 
assured him of this, and of my willingness to pro- 
vide for this need if I but had the means, and 
bade him go and take leave of a good friend, and 
I would see if by any means I could provide it in 
the meantime. After he had gone I considered if 
there was not some one of whom I could borrow 
the sum; but I had work in hand that admitted 
of no delay, and I thought within mj^self: 'God 
can easily bring me that much here, when it is 
His will,' and remained at my work. A quarter 
of an hour passed, when a well-known friend ap- 
peared, bringing me twenty thaler for the poor 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 127 

orphans. He said that the twenty thaler had been 
added to his pension, and that it had been lying 
for some time unused, since his pension was suffi- 
cient without this, and that he had decided to 
give it to the orphans, who could, doubtless, use 
it. The boy received the two thaler, and the bal- 
ance very opportunely supplied other needs. ' ' 

Francke relates one instance after another like 
the above. Again and again did he wait upon 
the Lord in faith, and again and again received 
bountifully. Sometimes the gifts were in money, 
and sometimes in grain, wood, leather, linen, 
building-stone and timber. The greatest sum 
which he ever received at once was five thousand 
thaler. But the fame of his work spread through- 
out the kingdom, and even beyond, so that people 
of all classes, rich and poor, high and low, wise 
and ignorant, from the King of Prussia to poor 
servant maids, widows and orphans, joined in its 
support and encouragement. 

It would have been hardly possible, however, 
for Francke to have accomplished so great a work 
had he not been provided with true and faithful 
assistants. 

Of these he says in his '^Blessed Footsteps," 
page 69 : '^ I count it one of the most important 
of all requirements that God gave me from the 
beginning such helpers as confessed sincere love 
to God and their neighbor ; who did not lay hand 
to the work for selfish interest nor for sake of the 
promised wage ; neither did they leave any trace 
of the mere hireling in the management of their 
business. But, on the contrary, they looked upon 
the work as God's work, and not as the work of 
men, and in it served the Lord with true self- 
denial and sacrifice of themselves to the service of 
their neio:hbor. ' ' 



128 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

In another place, he praises God for keeping 
the spirits of his helpers in faith and patience 
amidst the frequently recurring need and the 
countless difficulties which they shared with him. 
He thanks Him that when the need was greatest, 
and even as some of these good helpers spoke 
among themselves that they, this time, should 
fail to find the former blessing. He broke upon 
them with His gracious help and quickened them, 
even as a thirsty land is quickened by a boun- 
tiful rain. 

Much wisdom and power and many hands 
were necessary to the upbuilding and management 
of so great a work. It was all begun with the 
seven Gulden that Francke had declared was a 
good capital with which to establish something. 
At the time of his death the buildings for the 
Orphan House and its supplements were like a 
long street. Besides the chief Orphan House 
there was the farm, the Book-Store, the Printing- 
House, the Drug Store, Laboratory, Hospital, 
Library, the Art Museum, and the Schools. 

The Printing-House and Book-Store Avere due 
to Francke' s excellent and sincere friend, Henry 
Julius Elers. He was born not far from Liine- 
burg, on the 28th of June, 1671, and died in Sep- 
tember, 1728. He and Francke had been much 
attached to each other in Leipzig, and Elers fol- 
lowed his friend to Halle, as a student of theology, 
and through his efforts the Book-Store had its 
beginning in a little chamber in the Glaucha par- 
sonage. Francke' s sermon on '' Duty toward the 
Poor" had been printed, and Elers appeared at 
the Leipziger Messe among the book-sellers' stalls, 
himself taking his station at this great commercial 
fair to sell this one little pamphlet. At first his 
small venture and his evident novitiate in the 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 129 

trade excited only contempt, especially as he was 
a student of theology. But the sermon attracted 
attention, and when it became known that Elers 
represented the great Orphan House which was 
founded on a capital of seven Gulden^ and that 
his sales were for its benefit, his stock was soon 
exhausted, and more of the sermons were in 
demand. 

With the careful economy always practiced at 
the Orphanage, Elers now made cases, procured 
some half-worn types, and himself set up and re- 
printed the sermon. This, too, proved profitable, 
and he undertook more and greater publications, 
and with a fine unselfish zeal carried the work on 
to its finally assured success. 

The Drug Store (Apotheke) owed much to the 
man who was then the physician of the Orphan 
House. This was Christian Frederick Richter, 
who was at the same time a poet, and the writer 
of some of the most beautiful and spiritual Ger- 
man hymns. His hymns are especially valuable 
for their deeply devotional sentiment and exqui- 
site musical movement. One of them: '' Es 
gldnzet der Christen inwendiges Leben^^^ was the 
favorite hymn of Schleiermacher. But Richter 
was also zealous in his profession. 

In December, 1700, Francke visited a dying 
man who desired to leave him various chemical 
manuscriptSc He assured Francke that there was 
one formula for a preparation of gold which was 
a most rare and valuable remedy. This Francke 
entrusted to Dr. Richter, who was not at first suc- 
cessful in its preparation. But after many at- 
tempts and some expenditure of the precious 
metal, he was rewarded by procuring the desired 
result. The medicine proved to be all that had 
been claimed for it, and though Francke insisted 
9 



130 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK, 

on having it placed on the market at a price even 
within reach of the poor, its immense sales 
brought very large sums to the Orphan-House, 
and helped to establish the Drug-house and its re- 
putation. 

Finally the Drug-house grew to a hospital and 
dispensary, the little chamber with its single case 
and awkward hand-press broadened to the great 
printing-house and book-store, and became, at 
last, the headquarters for the distribution and sale 
of large quantities of missionary and other relig- 
ious literature, and to this was added the first 
great Bible House, of which we shall speak later. 

These institutions formed a little city within 
itself, and sheltered a small colony of the poor 
and helpless. It also gave employment to many 
more, and kept in time an open table to hundreds 
of poor and struggling students. 

But Francke gave to God all the honor. He 
ascribed nothing to his own foresight, activity and 
learning ; but called himself an unworthy instru- 
ment in God's hand, v/ho had only looked upon 
what God had done. 

The humanistic idea had no place in his work, 
and so clearly did he discern God's will for men 
in all that he established and accomplished, that 
he had an almost superstitious dread of his own 
fame, saying that God could easily bring his work 
to naught and himself to shame. Only in the 
name of Christ would he labor. In all his teach- 
ings his greatest desire was to bring all, from the 
youngest child to the greatest scholar, into closer 
relation to Jesus Christ. 

But notwithstanding his humility and sincere 
faith, there were not wanting those who heaped 
upon him abuse and slanders ; and not only upon 
him alone, but also upon his assistants. Francke 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 131 

was accused of pride and hypocrisy, even of 
greed, publicly and privately, by his own brother 
ministers in Halle, by a few professors, and by 
others in the ministerial office. Freylinghausen's 
beautiful collection of hymns, and his '^Ground- 
work of Theology," were characterized as injur- 
ious books. The terms ' ' Pietist ' ' and ' ' fanatic' ' 
were hurled at them with all the bitter import 
that thev then held, and no small amount of time 
and pains had to be expended by these already 
overtasked men in the paii:if ul labor of self-defence. 

But God's work went on and stands to-day as a 
beneficent monument to man's faith and God's 
grace, while those who stood by with slanders and 
reproaches on pen and tongue are scarcely known, 
save as the ''men who abused Francke." 

In the year 1727, the time of Francke' s death, 
the following report of these institutions was made 
to King Frederick I. of Prussia: 

I. The Pedagogium. 

82 scholars. 

70 teachers and assistants. 

II. The Latin School of the Orphan-House. 

3 inspectors (head masters or principals). 
32 teachers. 

400 scholars. 
10 servants. 

III. The German Burgerschtjle, or Common School. 

4 inspectors. 

98 teachers (male). 
8 teachers (female). 
1725 boys and girls. 

IV. Orphans. 

100 boys. 
34 girls. 
10 attendants. 

V. Boarders at the Tables. 

225 students. 
360 poor scholars. 



132 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

VI. Household, Drug Store and Book Stoke. 

53 persons. 

VII. I^'STITUTION FOR WOMEX. 

15 young women. 
8 in the house for young servants. 
6 widows. 

This sketch of the Francke institutions gives 
but a partial idea of the large sphere of the man's 
real labors, especially of his constant activity in 
and for the University. Of his Bible distribution 
and mission work for foreign lands we haye yet to 
speak, since they are of such importance that th^v 
require extended notice. But, however wide and 
diverse were all these branches of work, they were 
nourished b}^ a common root, a loving heart in 
the service of God and man. 



CHAPTER IV. 

FRANCKE's work IX BIBLE DISTRIBUTION AND 
MISSIONS. 

Since Francke was so filled with the joy of 
faith, and was so confident of its value as the one 
''pearl of great price" to be sought, it is not 
strange that he was zealous in his efforts to divide 
his treasure with others. In this he had an able 
assistant, who, like-minded and filled with fervent 
love of the Word of God, determined to place the 
Scriptures within reach of the poorest person. 

This was Carl Hildebrand, Baron of Canstein, 
who was born in 1667, and who became Chief 
Marshal and Chief Justice of the Court of the 
Elector of Brandenburg. He was also a trusted 
friend of Spener' s. In the year 1710 he published 
a pamphlet under the title: ''A humble proposal 
for giving God's Word into the hand of the poor 
at the lowest price. ' ' 

In this pamphlet he proposed to have one hun- 
dred thousand copies of the Bible printed through 
the preparation of permanent plates or forms. 
As this found favor with others, he gave the order 
to Francke' s Orphanage for execution. Prince 
Charles of Denmark, brother of King Frederick 
the IV. , presented Francke, for this work, twelve 
hundred and seventy-one ducats. 

The first edition of the New Testament from 
these formis appeared in the year 171^"^^ Up to 
1795 there appeared in this institution 1,659,883 
(133) 



134 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

Bibles, 883,890 New Testaments, 16,000 copies of 
the Psalms, and 47,500 of the Sirach. All these 
copies held faithfully to the text of Luther, except 
for a few changes which were agreed upon as 
necessary, and these were made with righteous 
timidity and care, so as to cause neither remark 
nor offense. 

It can be easih^ imagined with what zeal 
Francke and his friends undertook the manage- 
ment of this great work, and how mightily it 
prospered at his hands. At the death of Baron 
Canstein, in 1719, his will gave the entire work to 
Francke for the benefit of the Orphanage and to 
become a part thereof. Despite the multitude of 
his callings and the great burden of other business, 
Francke received the charge gladly, and adminis- 
tered it up to the time of his death. But it was 
only a short time before his death that he was 
able to give to this branch of his work the massive 
and roomy building in connection with the Or- 
phan House wliich it still occupies, and to bring 
it to the complete state of order and permanence 
which he desired for it. The Bible House now 
occupies one-half, or a corner of the building 
which is the front of a court eight hundred feet 
long, entirely enclosed by the chief buildings of 
the Orphan House. The building of the Royal 
Fedagogium closes this court at the other end. 
From this Bible House millions of copies of the 
Scriptures have gone into circulation, and all over 
the Christian world like institutions have sprung 
up; Bible societies have been formed, and free 
distribution has followed, until the poor have the 
gospel without money and without price. 

A man of Francke' s benevolent nature could 
not look upon the darkness of the heathen world 
without feeling the force of the Master's words 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 135 

' ' Go and teach all nations. ' ' Such a wish on his 
part could not long exist without opportunity for 
its satisfaction. King Frederick IV. of Denmark, 
at the instance of his court-preachers, Masius and 
Liitkens, decided to establish a mission in the 
Danish possessions in India. He gave the matter 
into the hands of Dr. Liitkens, bidding him find 
two men who were willing to go to the Danish 
colonies as missionaries. Dr. Liitkens turned to 
Francke, whose excellent judgment he trusted, 
and whose mind in the matter he well knew, sure 
that among the many able young men by whom 
he was surrounded at Halle, Francke would be 
able to choose some who would be both willing 
and competent to undertake the work. Francke 
proposed two German students of theology, Bar- 
tholomew Ziegenbalg, from Pulsnitz in the Ober- 
lausitz, and Henry Pliitschau, from Wesenberg in 
Mecklenburg. They were at once sent to Copen- 
hagen for ordination, and on the 29th of Novem- 
ber set sail for India. The result justified 
Francke' s choice. 

These were said to be the first missionaries of 
the Lutheran church, and the first mission sta- 
tion was the one which they established at Tran- 
quebar on the East India coast of Coromandel. 

Ziegenbalg was highly gifted, and glowing with 
fervent zeal he addressed himself to the work in a 
manner that insured success. 

In the beginning he sat among the children of 
an India school-master, and with them learned 
to read and write the Tamul from letters traced in 
the sand. He learned to understand it from his 
India servant, and finallj^, in a comparatively 
short time, it became to him as his mother tongue. 

He also learned the Portuguese and associated 
himself intimately with the people. The first 



136 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

converts at the mission were five Pariahs ; but so 
far from being ashamed or discouraged, they, as 
Francke's pupils, well understood the day of 
small things. At the end of the first year, they 
had a little congregation of thirty-five persons, and 
the year 1771 found fourteen thousand Hindus 
belonging to the mission station at Tranquebar and 
within the Christian church. 

But the missionaries found no bed of roses in 
India. The work was full of difficulties, the 
country full of enemies and antagonists. They 
found even here among the European residents 
enemies of the so-called pietistic movement of 
Francke and Spener, who opposed the practical 
and living work of the men from Halle, and looked 
with distrust upon any departure from scholastic 
methods in religious affairs. But it was said that 
^Hhey had one good friend in heaven, and in 
Europe they had three : King Frederick of Den- 
mark, Francke in Halle and the Society for the 
promotion of the Christian Religion in England.'' 
These were all faithful helpers of the mission in 
Tranquebar. Among the Germans Francke sus- 
tained it with his pen and his prayers. At Halle 
he collected means and supplies for the needs of 
the mission, and kept up a constant correspond- 
ence with its missionaries for twenty years. In- 
deed, the mission remained in more or less imme- 
diate connection with the Orphanage, and mis- 
sions became a part of the Christian work of 
Lutherans from this time forth, though in Ger- 
many there has never been any official connection 
of any missionary society with the state church, 
the societies being quite independent of the church 
organization and government. There is no doubt 
that the first awakening of German Christians to 
their duty toward the heathen nations was stimu- 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 137 

lated, if not caused, by the reports made by 
Francke concerning the Tranquebar mission. The 
first, especially, was such as would disturb the 
Christian conscience. These reports were entitled: 
' ' I am a debtor both to the Greek and the Bar- 
barian ;'' and the first appeared in Halle, 1710, 
with warnings to the reader against harsh judg- 
ments concerning the work and a plea for interest 
and aid. 

Throughout Germany hearts were awakened to 
bring to the assistance of this mission both gifts 
and prayers ; and of the thirty-three missionaries 
who went out from Europe, thirty were Germans. 

Ziegenbalg translated the New Testament into 
the Tamul language, and the plates for its print- 
ing were prepared at the Halle Orphan House. 
Later much Christian literature was printed there 
for the use of the mission in the Tamul language. 
It was the Francke reports that procured for this 
mission its third friend in Europe. The first re- 
port was translated into English, and attracted the 
attention of the English Society to the mission. 
From that time on this English Society supported 
the Danish Lutheran mission with important 
financial assistance, and as they witnessed the 
blessings of the Gospel i.n the Danish colony, they 
laid the foundations, of their own mission in the 
English colony at Madras in 1730. 

So long as Francke lived, the responsibility of 
choosing these missionaries fell upon him. And 
it was doubtless through the choice he was able 
to make from time to time that the mission was so 
prospered in its work. He was so situated as to 
know well the young men who possessed in great- 
est measure those intellectual gifts and Christian 
virtues upon which the blessed results of the work 
depended; and, perhaps, none better than he 



138 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

knew what was required in young men for such 
arduous work. Indeed, Francke's choice became 
sufficient surety that a man could labor with 
blessing among the heathen. 

The most celebrated of these missionaries were 
Ziegenbalg, Benjamin Schultze and Frederick 
Schwartz, both from Sonneburg in Denmark, and 
WiUiam Gerike, from Kolberg in Pomerania. 
All of the German missionaries sent out by Francke 
were taken from the University without special 
preparation for this new and peculiar work. 
Frederick Schwartz became the most celebrated of 
all these missionaries. He commanded the re- 
spect and confidence of all classes of people and 
all religious parties. He was called upon to in- 
terfere in matters of commerce and state as well as 
reUgion. 

In the year 1730, King Frederick IV. of Den- 
mark, the patron of the India mission, died, and 
his successor, Christian VI., seemed to have no 
disposition to continue his father's work. The 
mission was no longer well sustained, and the 
outbreak of rationalism threatened to sweep it out 
of existence. But the Lord of the Church did not 
permit its entire extinguishment, and it rose again 
to its former strength and usefulness. The Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Missionary Society of Leipzig 
undertook new buildings, and carried forward the 
work with great success. 

In his care for this mission to the heathen, 
Francke did not forget the distresses of the people 
of Christian countries. In the year 1713 he began 
to send relief to the Swedish prisoners in Siberia 
in the shape of books and money; and he had 
alwa3^s a warm heart for the Jews. It was through 
his influence that, in 1728, Professor Callenberg 
established a Jewish Institute at Halle for the 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 139 

conversion of the Jews, which did much good 
among them up to 1791. 

Francke's kindly incHnation toward the Jews is 
well exnressed in a sermon which he preached in 
1714 from Luke ii. 22-32: '^ A light to lighten the 
Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. ' ' In 
this he warned against the abuse and burdening 
of the Jews, by which no one was bettered; but 
by which one was marked as an instrument of the 
wicked enemy, rather than as the child of God. 

This work for missions appeared to be a special 
joy to Francke during the last months of his life. 
Speaking of it in a letter at that time, he says: 
" How often, with all joy under the free heavens, 
have I sighed to God: 'Lord, give me children as 
the dew of the morning's dawn, as the sands of 
the sea, as the stars in Heaven, so that I can no 
more count them. ' And what shall I say now ? 
God has heard my childish and trustful prayer 
with so much grace that indeed I can no longer 
count those who claim to know the blessedness of 
the word from my own lips. 

' 'And not only in Germany do these abound, but 
])robably more in other lands ; for it has pleased 
God to make me an instrument in the conversion 
of the heathen. And some good souls have said 
that those who are converted from heathenism 
among them are like my children's children, since 
they have been brought to Christ by my spiritual 
sons in India. Who am I that God has shown 
me such mercy, and that He yet continues it I" 



CHAPTER V. 
francke's domestic life, his last days and 

DEATH. 

Francke did not marry until he had entered 
upon his thirty-second year, in June, 1694. This 
he did only when he had first fervently called 
upon God for direction and blessing, so he relates. 

His wife was Anna Magdelena von Wurm, the 
orphan daughter of Henry Otto von Wurm, of the 
Mansfeldian estate of Rammelburg. She is de- 
scribed as a gentle, quiet spirit, a true child of 
God, uniting her life and heart completely to her 
husband's work and interests, and serving thirty- 
three years as his faithful companion and helper. 

Two sons and one daughter were born to them. 
The first-born son, August GottUeb, died while 
yet young. Gotthilf August, the second son, was 
born on the 21st of March, 1696. His relation to 
his father's work as his successor was important, 
and requires more than mere mention in these 
pages. His birth occurred two years after the 
founding of the Orphan House, and his education 
was begun at the Pedagogium and finished at the 
University. He traveled some through Germany, 
and attended lectures for a time at the University 
of Jena, to hear J. Fr. Buddeus. He held a pub- 
lic disputation at Jena under the direction of 
Buddeus in February, 1720. On his return to 
Halle, he acted as prison chaplain for a time, and 
in his 25th year was ordained to the ministry. 
(140) 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 141 

In 1723 he became assistant in St. Mary's Church, 
was principal of the Latin school and assisted his 
father in the direction of the Orphan House and 
its various branches. In 1727 he was appointed 
extraordinary Professor of Theology in the Uni- 
versity, and in the same year, by his father's 
death, was obliged to accept the Directorship of 
the Orphan House and Pedagogium. The follow- 
ing year he was elected to membership in the 
English Society for the Promotion of the Christian 
Religion. He was Deacon, then Archdeacon of 
St. Mary's Church, Inspector of the district of 
Saale, President of the Consistorial Council of 
Halle, and received the degree of Doctor of The- 
ology in 1739. 

He carried on successfully the work begun by 
his father; but in a different and less happy 
spirit. His father's spirit was one of joy and 
almost saintly benevolence. The son's was that 
of an ascetic. He was one of the most rigid re- 
presentatives of Pietism, who believed and prac- 
ticed the mortification of the members rather than 
their sanctification. As an academic teacher he 
was distinguished for the accuracy of his instruc- 
tions and the great and practical influence which 
he exercised over his students. 

Up to the time of his death he continued his 
interest in the work of Foreign Missions, esjDCcially 
those in India which his father had helped to 
found, and continued to edit and publish the re- 
ports as they had been begun. 

Twice a week for thirty years he delivered exe- 
getical lectures in the great assembly hall of the 
Orphan-House, and in many ways continued the 
work of his father. 

But the broadly benevolent spirit and vigorous 
enterprise of the father was lacking in the son. 



142 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

Had he possessed these paternal characteristics in 
a greater measure, he might have prevented the 
Pietistic movement from so soon sinking into that 
slough of extremes toward which it was fast tend- 
ing. Indeed, he was himself an extremist, and, 
consequently, but ill fitted for leadership. 

But his offices in behalf of the Lutheran Church 
in America must not be overlooked. Daniel 
Weissiger was sent to Germany by the German 
Lutherans who first settled in this country, to col- 
lect funds and procure a preacher for these needy 
and churchless people. He carried letters to sev- 
eral persons likely to give, and to assist him in 
getting aid; but especially was he recommended 
to Dr. G. A. Francke, at Halle, as one interested 
in Foreign Missions. Francke was interested. 
' ' A Brief Report from America ' ' was published, 
together with a letter of recommendation from the 
English Court preacher, Zicgenhagen, the needs 
of Lutherans in America in the matter of churches 
and schools were also made known by letter and 
orally, and aroused many Christian people to offer 
sympathy and aid. Dr. G. A. Francke and Pas- 
tor Maier in Halle, Dr. Pfeiffer in Leipzig, and 
Senior Urlsperger in Augsburg, received the ac- 
cumulated contributions. But there was delay in 
finding the right kind of a man to send to Amer- 
ica as a missionary. Finally, it was Dr. G. A. 
Francke, himself, who, acting for the German 
Evangehcal Lutheran Churches in Philadelphia, 
New Hanover and Providence, extended a call to 
Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg to become pas- 
tor of these churches. During the remainder of 
his life the younger Francke took a lively interest 
in the American churches, and edited and pub- 
lished the reports of the American churches sent 
to Halle under the title of the ' ' Halle Reports. ' ' 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 143 

At the time of his death the eleventh continuation 
of these reports was being prepared for the press. 
The younger Francke published numerous writ- 
ings of a varied character and conscientiously 
discharged his various official duties. He died 
September 2d, 1769. 

We have turned aside from our proper bio- 
graphical sketch, for the purpose of showing in 
part how the spirit of Augustus Hermann Francke, 
and the institutions which he founded at Halle, 
the faith which he loved and honored, the mis- 
sionary zeal which he awakened, took root in 
American soil. Here, as in India, Bibles were 
furnished for some time by the Canstein Bible 
House, and the religious literature came from the 
printing-presses of the Halle Orphanage, at the 
instance of the younger Francke. The schools 
were influenced by the Halle institutions, and 
Muhlenberg himself was educated at Gottingen, a 
university of the same spirit, and the immediate 
follower of Halle in philosophy and theology. 
He also studied theology one year at Halle. 

The daughter of Augustus- Hermann Francke 
was his youngest child. She was named Johanna 
Sophia Anastasia. When grown to womanhood 
she was united in marriage to John Anastasius 
Freylinghausen, so long her father's faithful friend 
and able assistant. To them were born a son and 
two daughters. The son, G. Anastasius Freyling- 
hausen, died in 1785, a preacher and professor of 
theology at Halle. The two daughters married 
the brothers, John Conrad Philip Niemeyer and 
J. Anton Niemeyer. The former was Archdeacon 
of St. Mary's church, and the latter was the In- 
spector of the Royal Pedagogium, This latter died 
in 1765, and thus the management of the Francke 
institutions passed over to the Niemeyer family. 



144 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

The biographer has but meagre information 
from which to present a picture of Francke's 
home hfe. His was truly a hfe hid with Christ 
in God. For several years George Frederick 
Rogall, Doctor of Theology and Professor of Phil- 
osophy at Konigsberg, was a member of his fam- 
ily, and his trusted friend. He has little to tell 
of the life of the family, but there is much in that 
little. There was, he says, gentleness and quie- 
tude throughout the house. There was never an 
outcry, a word of anger or bitterness to be heard. 
The family faults did not rule there, but, on the 
contrary, those domestic virtues commended by 
the Scriptures predominated. 

With the busy master of the house much of his 
contact with his family was at the table, and here 
his mind was not diverted from its usual channels. 
Often he told how the blessings and providences 
of God were being made manifest to other people 
and in other places. Sometimes he carried on an 
instructive conversation, or, when one of his 
grand-children was present, taught a profitable 
verse of Scripture, with its meaning and applica- 
tion. Nothing was reserved for selfish pleasure or 
frivolous enjoyment; but all was done to the 
honor and glory of God. Indeed, if Francke 
erred, it was on the side of too great industry and 
devotion to his work. 

Toward the end of the year 1694, he received a 
letter from Magdeburg from a friend who was in 
great financial distress, and who begged for as- 
sistance. Francke was not himself in circum- 
stances which enabled him to furnish the desired 
aid ; but he decided to jjrepare Bible commen- 
taries and have them printed and issued in 
monthly editions, in order to bring him in the 
money necessary to meet the needs of his friend. 



FHANCKE AND HIS WORK. 145 

In order to do this, with the other duties which 
already filled his time to repletion, he was obliged 
to forego his evening meal, using the time which 
he had been accustomed to devote to it in the 
preparation of the commentary. 

There was also strength in his quiet and self- 
sacrificing life, which was able to overcome op- 
position and disarm more than one enemy. In 
order to strengthen the new University at Halle, 
Baron Von Dancklemann, the Prussian minister, 
wished to call to a professorship there the then 
celebrated jurist. Dr. Samuel Stryk, of Wittenberg 
University. But Wittenberg was bitter enough 
against the young university and its faculty, 
especially against Francke ; and throughout Sax- 
ony had been circulated all manner of derogatory 
reports concerning him. He was a disturber of 
the peace, a fanatic, a greedy collector of funds 
which he converted to his own selfish uses or 
hoarded for his family ; in short, he was a Pietist, 
a name which covered unsounded and mysterious 
depths of possible error. 

Dr. Stryk refused to consider the call unless 
this arch-pietist, Francke, should be first dis- 
missed. Francke was written to and informed of 
this, and he was given the choice of various super- 
intendencies and other positions, if he would re- 
sign. Stryk had also received a very flattering 
call from Copenhagen, and this added to the 
anxiety of the Berlin ministry. Francke was 
given to understand that if he did not quietly re- 
sign, his removal would follow. To this Francke 
made answer : ' ' I am fully satisfied of the divin- 
ity of my call to Halle, and in the other positions 
proposed, I have not the certainty of the blessing 
which I have witnessed in my work here. If I 
have done anything punishable, it can be proven, 



146 FEANCKE AND HIS WOKK. 

and I am willing to be dealt with accordingly ; 
but I am determined that I shall not suffer my- 
self to be innocently removed. ' ' 

No one had expected such decision and such 
steadfast declarations from the gentle Francke, 
and as Dr. Stryk preferred a professorship in 
Halle to that in Copenhagen, the Berlin officials 
persuaded him to accept the call, leaving Francke 
in position. 

He came to Halle, met Francke, saw his daily 
life, his benevolent deeds, his trust in God, and 
entirely changed his judgment of him. He be- 
came one of his truest and most trusted friends, 
and remained in this relation to him until his 
death, which occurred in 1710. 

Francke, like his friend Spener, praj^ed often. 
Sometimes it was at his work, sometimes it was 
with or for friends who called upon him; but he 
also had fixed hours for prayer and lists of friends 
for whom he daily prayed according to their need. 
Not a few of his acquaintances believed that they 
had him and his daily prayers to thank for their 
conversion. 

But true and earnest as Francke was in prayer, 
he was not less earnest in brotherly reproof when 
he held reproof to be necessary. One instance of 
this was the stern, almost angry words, spoken by 
him to Samuel Urlsperger, who was of a more 
timid and retiring nature, but not lacking in 
sincere and honest piety. 

Urlsperger was Court-preacher in Stuttgart, and 
at that time life at the Court was frivolous and 
wanton. 

The Duke himself was living in open shame, 
and every Christian tongue was bound by men's 
fear or men's favor. 

In 1717 Francke traveled through South Ger- 



FRAXCKE AND HIS WORK. 147 

man}^, forced to the change by over-work and de- 
clining health. He visited Urlsperger, and heard 
him preach, and after the sermon went to him 
full of sorrow. '^I hear, brother." he said, 
^'that thy lectures are Evangelical; but thou 
touchest the sins of the Court with no word. I 
come to say to thee, in God's name, that thou 
art a dumb dog, and if thou turnest not about, 
and as a public teacher of the truth speak out 
freely, thou wilt be lost, in spite of all thy con- 
fessions. ' ' 

Francke took a troubled leave of his friend. 
But on the following Sunday the Court-preacher 
spoke with great earnestness and freedom of the 
prevailing sins. The Duke sent him word that 
he had felt like having him shot in the pulpit; 
and that unless he would, on the following Sun- 
day, retract from the pulpit all he had said, he 
would complain of him before the High Court, 
and as his crime was against royalty, he might 
easily lose his head. 

Urlsperger answered that he could not, under 
any circumstances, recall what he had said, and 
no more could he retract; that his majesty must 
do with him as he would. He was arrested and 
brought to judgment before the Royal Court. He 
was again given opportunity to retract, but re- 
fused, and the day of his execution was fixed. 

Upon this he sent for his wife and four children, 
and asked his wife what she wished him to do in 
the matter. The heroic woman replied : ^ ' My 
dear husband, your death would throw me and 
our children into the greatest bodily distress; I 
pray you, however, in God's name, do not deny 
the truth; that would bring a curse upon me and 
our children. ' ' 

He was comforted by this answer, and sent 



148 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

word to the Duke that his head was at his service 
any day. 

The Duke brought his death-warrant to be 
signed by the Prime Minister; but the Minister 
laid down his sword and offered to give up his 
office, saying: ^'Your Majesty, here is ray office 
and my honor; I subscribe no debts of blood." 

The Duke was amazed, and, rather than lose 
his first Councillor, he satisfied himself by only 
dismissing the Court-preacher with the condition 
that he must seek a position outside of the state. 

A few years later the same Minister was with 
the Duke watching a military review, when the 
former Court-preacher passed them. The Minister 
called the Duke's attention to him, saying: 
'' Your Majesty, so long as this man was in office, 
you had blessing and happiness in the kingdom ; 
but since we have a flatterer in his place, every- 
thing goes unluckily. Will you not make good 
his wrongs, and at least care and provide for 
him?" 

This was done. Urlsperger was made Deacon 
in Herrenberg, and soon after first preacher at 
Augsburg. Here he passed many happy days, 
still the friend of Francke, and was one to give aid 
and sympathy to the early churches in America 
and their hard-working missionaries. He died at 
a great age in 1772. 

Francke, himself, stood in no fear of royalty or 
those high in office. In May, 1713, he was sent 
as deputy of the Halle University to assist at the 
funeral of Frederick II. of Prussia. While in 
Berlin he preached in the Garrison church in the 
presence of the king with undisturbed composure, 
and with his usual freedom and courage. After- 
ward the king said loudly, in the presence of his 
Court: '' Francke is a good man. He speaks the 
truth to every one." 



FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 149 

This favorable impression made upon the new 
king (Frederick WiUiam II.)? wrought rich re- 
sults for the Halle University and Francke's in- 
stitutions, which found in him an interested 
patron. 

Francke's life was also full of beneficence to the 
lowly as well to those who were his friends and 
equals and those of high estate. 

At one time an unhappy and stubborn woman 
came to Halle seeking his counsed. He directed 
her to go home and make peace with her mother- 
in-law. But the woman declared that the church- 
tower would as readily lay itself on the ground as 
she would put aside her hate for her mother-in- 
law, since she had made her so angry. There- 
upon Francke said to her : 

' ' That does not surprise me. I am quite satis- 
fied that you are in no condition to be reconciled 
to your mother-in-law. That will only be possi- 
ble to you when you call upon God in the matter. 
I beseech you earnestly to promise me that you 
will pray to God for a reconcilable heart." 

The woman did not trust herself to disregard 
his request, and after a few days she returned 
saying : 

' ' Now I will go and make peace with my 
mother-in-law. ' ' 

She did this, and when her pastor at home asked 
her why she had not done so before, she replied : 

' ' You readily admonished me to peace and 
reconciliation, but you did not tell me how it 
should be accomplished, and that I must go to 
God for it." 

Once as Francke stood by the half finished 
foundation of the Orphan-House, his means ex- 
hausted and the work about to stop for want of 
stone and lime, a workman brought to him a box 



150 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

of coins found by those who were digging for the 
wall. The coins bore this stamp: '^ Jehovah. 
Conditor Condita Coronide Coronet.^ ^ 

' ' This, ' ' said Francke, ' ' again lifted me up 
and sustained my faith, so that I with gladness 
and comfort resumed the work in the hope that I 
should see the building brought to completion. ' ' 

This might also be applied to Francke's life 
when his course had been run in faith, and fin- 
ished, and his crown of righteousness received. 

During the course of his work it was frequently 
necessary for Francke to take long journeys in its 
behalf. In the year 1718 he made the last of 
these journeys, and returned refreshed and 
strengthened to his labors in Halle. Up to his 
sixty-third year he was able to discharge all his 
various duties and obligations in the most punc- 
tual manner. 

A few years later he suffered a most serious 
loss in the death of his old friend and assistant 
Neubauer. He was much affected by the de- 
parture of this peaceful soul, who had so long and 
faithfully served him in God's work. In Neu- 
bauer' s desk was found a note saying: ''I wish 
to be buried in the quietest manner. They shall 
prepare no service or funeral sermon or memorial. 
I was born in 1666 at Desdorf, in Halberstadt. 
This, and when I died, is enough concerning my 
life." 

Francke, himself, remained but a short time to 
need or mourn this friend. The year following 
Neubauer' s death, 1625, he began to suffer from 
the painful malady which resulted in his death. 
In June, 1726, he was able to take a journey to 
Altenburg with the hope of improving his health, 
and to visit his friend Count von Henkel. But 
he remained ill, and in the autumn of the same 



FEAXCKE AND HIS WORK. 151 

year suffered a partial paralysis of the left side. 
He recovered from this so as to be able to go 
about and even accomplish some light work. At 
the beginning of the new year, 1627, he seemed 
to regain his health, and bade Dr. Richter and 
his colleague pack up their medicine, since they 
could see that a higher hand was upon him. 

He now spent much time reading his favorite 
religious works, and wrote many letters to his old 
friends. He often expressed himself as being 
weary and longing for the Heavenly home, the 
New Jerusalem, but as willing to live if it was the 
Lord's will. He abstained from all severe or 
wearisome labor, saying that he did not wish to 
destroy by his carelessness what God built up. 
He grew to feel much stronger, and hoped in the 
summer semester of r|27 to take up his lectures 
at the University again. 

He really appeared there on the 15th of May, 
and held one lecture, the first since his illness 
ancl the last in his life-time. He closed this lec- 
ture with visible emotion, and with words which 
it was not his custom to use: '' So go now hence, 
and be ye blessed of the Lord foreA^r and ever! " 

Two days after hie appeared in the Church and 
partook of the communion, but with greatly in- 
creased physical weakn-ess. Once more he was 
taken to the garden of the Orphan-House, where 
for an hour he poured out his heart in fervent 
prayer, a glorious psalm of praise and trust and 
victorious hope. In the morning he asked that 
some favorite hymns be sung, and was strong and 
hopeful in spirit; but by the evening his former 
illness returned in a greatly aggravated form. 
Drs. Richter, Junker and Becker called the Prus- 
sian Court-physician and all of the medical pro- 
fessors of the tJniversity in counsel, but the time 



152 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

of his release was near. He suffered much from 
that on, and once prayed the Heavenly Father to 
teach him not only to do, but to suffer according 
to His will, that he should not vex Him by word 
or thought, and since He could make everything 
blessed, that his sufferings should be for the edi- 
fication of others. 

On the seventh day, as his sufferings increased, 
he blessed each one present, and said : ' ' All who 
are received into heaven can say that they have 
come out of great tribulation. When I go to 
heaven, the Lord will ask me: ^Whence comest 
thou hither?' Ah, I must answer Him: ' Out of 
little tribulation; yet in these last days I, too, have 
suffered, and am also one of those that come to 
Thee out of tribulation.' " 

Day after day of weakness and extreme suffer- 
ing served only to bring him to greater joy in 
prayer and communion with God, and hope of his 
speedy and victorious release from pain. On the 
day of his death he parted from friends and kin- 
dred with gentle words of blessing. His wife 
asked him : ' ' Your Saviour is yet near you, is He 
not?" ^' There is no doubt of it," he replied, 
and these were his last words. He fell into a 
gentle sleep, and at evening, June 8th, 1727, 
quietly passed away. 

The whole city came to look once more upon 
his face, and on June 17th great crowds followed 
his remains to his last resting-place, and many 
pens were busied with memorials of one who is 
yet styled, '^ A man after God's heart." 

In the preceding pages we have not aimed to 
present the Pietistic Movement in its historical or 
theological relations. We have striven only to 
give a brief sketch of two men most prominent in 



FEANCKE AND HIS WORK. 153 

its beginning, and to speak of the spirit and mo- 
tives which prompted their action. That Ration- 
ahsm sprang up in the wake of Pietism is not to 
be denied; bnt the causes of it must not be 
thoughtlessly stated. One historian insists that 
the ^'' Seeds of Rationalism were already in the 
ground" before the time of Spener; another claims 
that it was the result of Wolff's philosophy and 
Thomasius' Freedom of Teaching (Lekrfreiheit) . 
Others believe that it was the logical outcome of 
the emotional religion of the Pietisic extremists. 
Be that as it may, neither Spener nor Francke 
stood for a rationalistic theology, or emotionalism 
in religion. They wrought nobly against the evils 
of the time; and if men and Avomen of less breadth 
and equanimity abused the principles for which 
they stood, or failed to understand them in their 
proper relations, the memories of Spener and 
Francke are not to be burdened with these mis- 
takes. They produced a revival of living, active 
faith, the beneficent results of which survive to- 
day in their own country and in ours. 

The spirit of the Halle University brought new 
dignity and power to educational centres every- 
where. If individuals and schools at any time 
divorced its principles from the true religious 
faith, from the very nature of truth the separation 
must have been but temporary. Its principles 
survived, and bear the tests of later times and 
more advanced thought. They were necessary to 
aid in the rescue of theology from the bold author- 
ity of men's statements and to plant its truths in 
the free consciousness of the individual. 

Tares have been plentifully sown with the good 
seed which these men cast abroad; but the good 
grain has also flourished and yielded its rich 
harvest in many an otherwise desolate spot: the 



154 FRANCKE AND HIS WORK. 

revival of strict catechisation, public confirmation, 
general and careful study of the Word, meetings 
for prayer, evangelical preaching, and at least a 
demand for moral rectitude in the life of the 
Christian and the Christian minister, continue to 
bear witness to the wisdom of Spener's work. 
The practical benevolence of Christians is still 
stirred by the almost superhuman devotion of 
Francke to the uplifting of the ignorant and the 
needy, and it is much owing to his influence that 
the brotherhood of man and the value and dignity 
of the human soul has been read into every 
Christian Creed. 

Yet, perhaps, there is no one lesson to be 
learned from these short biographies so important 
for the Christian as that expressed in the single 
passage of Scripture which Francke placed above 
the main entrance to the Orphan House. Be- 
neath the figures of two soaring eagles stands this 
inscription: "But they that wait upon the Lord 
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up 
with wings as eagles. ' ' 



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